Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court clarified that a diploma awarded by the State Board of Technical Education is equivalent to an intermediate qualification, directing authorities not to deny DEE (Diploma in Elementary Education or Diploma in Preschool Education) admissions to diploma holders.
Justice K. Lakshman heard a petition filed by Kampela Harish of Mancherial, who challenged the rejection of his DEE counselling on the grounds that he lacked an intermediate qualification despite holding a diploma in electrical and electronics engineering.
Harish’s counsel argued that a 2001 government order (GO 112) clearly treated a diploma as on par with an intermediate. Despite securing a rank in the DEE entrance test, Harish was denied certificate verification, citing a lack of an intermediate.
The government’s counsel responded that after completing the DEE course, the candidate would be eligible for Secondary Grade Teacher posts, which require Telugu and English language subjects not covered in diploma courses.
After hearing both sides, the court ruled that since the diploma is formally recognised as equivalent to intermediate, admissions cannot be rejected on that basis. The convenor was directed to allow Harish admission if he met other requirements.