Spellings spell trouble, candidate moves HC

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 19

The “clash” between British and American English has come under the judicial scanner. A candidate for a stenographer’s post has moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court, alleging that the word ‘enrollment’ was wrongly checked by a Registrar of the High Court.

Enrolment, with one “l”, is standard in British English, while enrollment with two “ls” is standard in American English. In her petition placed before the Bench of Justice Rajiv Narain Raina, Rajni of Bathinda prayed that she was required to be considered a “qualified candidate” for the post of stenographer in the subordinate courts of Punjab “in view of the word ‘enrollment’ being wrongly checked”. She added that the word with single and double “l” was correct as “both were having the same meaning”.

Her counsel, Dr Rau PS Girwar, said the petitioner secured 34 marks, while the candidate obtaining 36 marks in this category (physically handicapped) was declared successful. “Due to the wrong result, she was deprived of employment in the subordinate courts on the post of stenographer Grade-III, which was a direct infringement of fundamental rights,” he said. The case will come up on November 26.