PONDICHERRY ENGINEERING COLLEGE Vs. A MUTHURAMALINGAM

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THESE writ appeals are filed against the common order of the Writ Court in writ petitions Nos. 793 to 795 of 2006, whereby the Writ Court directed the appellants herein to select and appoint the writ petitioners (the first respondents herein) to the post of Professors in the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering ('eee' for short) on par with the recruitment of Professors in other Departments under the same faculty recruitment Notification published on 30. 06. 2005.

(2.) THE facts are: - The first respondent in each of the appeals are working as lecturers in EEE department of the appellant college, viz. , the Pondicherry Engineering College. The said college issued a faculty recruitment notification on 30. 06. 2005 calling for applications for three posts of Professors, two posts of Assistant Professors and one post of Lecturer in the EEE department, among other posts in other faculties. The writ petitioners, being possessed with the qualification prescribed in the notification, applied for the post of Professors. Pursuant to the same, they attended the interview on 21. 10. 2005. The interview for the recruitment of other posts also, as called for in the notification on 30. 06. 2005, was held on 21. 10. 2005. Appointment orders were issued to the candidates, who appeared for the post of Professors in other departments, but so far as EEE department, the results were not published. Hence, the first respondent in each of the appeals filed writ petitions No. 37273 to 37275 of 2005 seeking for the issuance of writ of mandamus directing the appellants herein to select and appoint the writ petitioners to the posts of Professor in EEE department by declaring the results of the interview conducted by the Selection Committee on 21. 10. 2005 on par with the other department. While the writ petitions were pending, pursuant to the letters of the writ petitioners dated 28. 10. 2005, the appellant college through the Principal informed by a memorandum dated 02. 12. 2005 that the selection committee did not recommend the writ petitioners for appointment to the posts of Professor in EEE department. The writ petitioners again filed another set of writ petitions in W. Ps. Nos. 793 to 795 of 2006 challenging the memorandum dated 02. 12. 2005 and further for a direction to the appellants to select and appoint the writ petitioners to the posts of Professors in the EEE department.

(3.) THE core contention of the writ petitioners in this case is that one Vivekanandan, Assistant Professor of CSE department, who did not possess the requisite qualification as on 15. 07. 2005, the last date for submitting the completed application forms, was issued with an appointment order as Professor in that Department, whereas the writ petitioners, who are fully qualified candidates, were not selected and found not fit for the post of Professor.