Chandigarh: The person who has not physically attended the engineering course and has no practical training could not be called an engineer, said the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
The court was hearing a case filed against the Haryana Police Housing Corporation's (HPHC) promotion of an employee to the post of executive engineer who has a civil engineering certificate obtained from the distant education.
The court observed that a course like engineering which needs physical presence for the practical training could not be equalled with the distant education that provides only theoretical classes. It has also frozen the appointment order of the HPHC.
Any person who has not obtained the practical training with the person's physical presence cannot be called an engineer, the bench of Justice Anupinder Singh Grewal said.
"If we accept such degrees obtained through distant learning, the day is not far when there will be MBBS courses being conducted through distant mode of learning, which would have disastrous consequences," he said.
The petitioner argued that the promotion of Vinod Rawal as the executive engineer was a violation of Section 6(a) (proviso) of Haryana Service of Engineers, Group-A, Public Works (Building and Roads) Department Act, 2010, where it has been stipulated that the person who obtained a degree of civil engineering through distance
education mode will not be eligible for promotion.
"The functions of engineers are of significant importance as they are involved in building the nation's infrastructure, and any laxity/incompetence due to lack of knowledge would not only endanger the precious lives of citizens but also cost the state exchequer dearly," the court said.