Education, Careers & Professional News
Degree in music is a degree in arts stream
Source
The Hindu
Date
2005-08-25
Information
The Karnataka High Court has declared that a degree in music is like any other degree in arts.
The court allowed a petition by a Junior Engineer of the then Karnataka Electricity Board (KEB) and said a degree in music is a degree in the arts stream.
The petitioner, Srinivasa, had passed the SSLC examination and in 1977 joined the KEB, Hubli, as a junior engineer. In 1979, he passed the bachelor of music course and was awarded a degree by Karnatak University, Dharwad.
The KEB in 1975 formulated a scheme under which employees acquiring additional educational qualifications were entitled to four additional increments. Mr. Srinivasa applied for the increments, saying that he had obtained additional qualification.
The KEB, however, rejected his application, stating that only those who had obtained BA course in regular subjects were entitled for the increments.
Mr. Srinivasa petitioned the High Court against the KEB stand and submitted that he was entitled for the additional increments. The court allowed the petition and directed the KEB to consider his plea.
It said music was a fine art and in the syllabi prescribed for BA course, Hindustani music was a subject in the degree course. It prescribed 100 marks in theory and 200 for practical. Therefore, there was nothing to show that a degree in music was not a degree in arts.
Displeasure
Justice Rammohan Reddy on Wednesday took strong exception to the Governments lethargic attitude in not amending certain provisions of the Karnataka Municipal Corporation (KMC) Act and ordered issue of notice to State Government and other respondents.
Justice Reddy passed the order on a petition by Naveen Chandra K. and B.B. Ganesh Rao, corporators of Mangalore, seeking the disqualification of K. Ashraf as Mayor of Mangalore.
The petitioners claimed that Mr. Ashraf, before his election as Mayor, had remained absent for three meetings. According to the KMC Act, any corporator who remains absent for three consecutive meetings is liable to be disqualified.
They said under Section 26 of the Act, only the Divisional Commissioner has the power to disqualify such members. Though the post of Divisional Commissioners had been abolished, the Government has not amended this clause or conferred the powers on other officials. Justice Reddy directed issue of notices to the Chief Secretary, the Mangalore Corporation and other respondents and adjourned further hearing on the case.