The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court ruled on April 20 that a degree in engineering is not equivalent to a diploma, thereby disqualifying B.Tech graduates from applying for junior engineer positions in Uttar Pradesh. This ruling came in response to a petition filed by the Graduate Engineering Students’ Welfare Association, which challenged the service rules and the eligibility criteria set forth by the UP Subordinate Service Selection Commission in an advertisement dated March 7, 2024. The court stated that a diploma and a degree in engineering cannot be considered equivalent, aligning with previous Supreme Court rulings. The decision means that the petitioners, who argued that their qualifications should allow them to participate in the recruitment process for 4,612 junior engineer positions across various departments, were ultimately dismissed. The ruling was positively received by representatives of diploma engineers' associations, emphasizing the importance of maintaining clear distinctions in qualifications for engineering roles.