New Delhi: A Degree qualification is usually considered higher than the Diploma worlwide, but here in India it required the Supreme Court (SC) to clarify this peculiarity to both the Maharashtra Government and the Bombay High Court.

A recent ruling of the apex court will lend a hand to those passport seekers whose travel documents have been stamped with Emigration Clearance Required (EMR) by authorities for submitting post-graduation degree copies instead of the specified graduation certificate.

According to sources, some candidates who had applied for the position of 'gram sevak' were denied candidature owing to the fact that they did not posses the diploma as per the eligibility criteria given in the advertisement. The candidates who were degree holders in agriculture moved to the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court challenging a decision of the Gondia zilla Parishad executive officer for not issuing them letters for interview in 2001.

The petitioners argued that the candidates who possessed qualifications higher than the diploma's should also be called for interview. However, the state government argued that they did not posses diploma in Agriculture and the High Court also upheld the government's contention. Finally the Candidates had to appeal in the Supreme Court.

Ruling aside the Bombay High Court order, the Supreme Court bench consists of Justices A. K. Mathur and Lokeshwar Singh Panta stated that, "In our view, the interpretation given by the High Court is wrong and there are no two opinions in the matter that a diploma is a lower qualification than a degree. Once a candidate possesses a degree, he has to be given preference as against a candidate who possesses a diploma". The bench also directed the state govt. to make the appointments in accordance with Law.