- (1.) The petitioners in these petitions are officers in the cadre of Range Forest Officers of the Forest Department of Karnataka State. Whenever they had been sent by the Stale to different Forest Rangers Colleges or Institutes for obtaining Rangers Forest Training, they completed such training Course in Honours. Admittedly, although they did not stand first among the candidates of their respective batches of trainees m the college or institute concerned, in the applications filed by them before the Karnataka Administrative tribunal "the tribunal", they sought for issuance of directions to the State government for sending them to undergo Diploma Course in Forestry, so as to make them eligible for direct recruitment to the cadre of Assistant Conservators of Forests, invoking the application of the Note and its proviso in the Schedule to Rule 2 of the Karnataka Forest Department Services (Recruitment) Rules. 1987 "the Rules", relating to recruitment of Assistant Conservators of Forests. Such applications being rejected by the orders made by the tribunal, the present special leave petitions are made seeking leave to appeal against those orders
(2.) In our judgment in S. Ramesha v. State of Kamataka pronounced today, we have held that the proviso to Note in the Schedule to Rule 2 of the Rules relating to recruitment of Assistant Conservators of Forests enables the State government to send only the Range Forest Officers who will have stood first in the Rangers Forest Training Course in the college or institution established or recognised by the central government for Diploma in Forestry course and not Range Forest Officers, who had completed such training merely with Honours. However, we have clarified in the said judgment that the Karnataka public service commission could select Range Forest Officers for Diploma Course in Forestry, as provided for in the Note in the Schedule to Rule 2 of the Rules relating to recruitment to posts of Assistant Conservators of Forests. We have also further clarified therein that the Note cannot be understood as that which requires only such Range Forest Officers who had completed eight years of service as Range Forest Officers Grade I or Grade II to seek selection for Diploma in Forestry, so as to make them eligible for consideration by direct recruitment to the cadre of Assistant Conservators of Forests, as has been held by a full bench of the tribunal.
(3.) Therefore, the State government cannot be directed to send the petitioners for Diploma in Forestry unless selected by Karnataka public service commission under the Rules, as may be required by the State government taking into consideration the availability of seats in Diploma Course in Forestry in the colleges or institutes concerned. In the said view of the matters, no special leave can be granted in respect of the orders of the tribunal as has been sought for in the special leave petitions.;