VASUNDHARA Vs. SALLAS BENJAMIN

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The 3rd respondent in the Writ Petition is the appellant. The 1st respondent herein was the writ petitioner. The point that arises for decision in this appeal is whether the teaching experience of a Guest Lecturer could be taken as the teaching experience prescribed for appointment to the post of Reader in Life Science, as per the Regulations of the University.

(2.) The brief facts of the case are the following: The 2nd respondent University invited applications for appointment to the post of Reader in Life Science by Ext.P7 notification dated 11.01.2005. Later, an addendum notification was published as per Ext.R3(1) on 31.01.2005, clarifying that the applicants should have specialisation in Biochemistry. The last date for receipt of applications was 28.02.2005. The selection committee conducted an interview of the candidates and prepared a select list. The appellant being rank No. 1, the selection committee recommended the appointment of the appellant to that post and the Syndicate of the University approved the same as per Ext.P11 resolution. Pursuant to that, she was appointed as Reader in the Department of Life Science, as per Ext.P12 memo dated 31.10.2005. The 1st respondent herein filed the Writ Petition, challenging Exts.P11 and P12.

(3.) The main ground of attack against the selection of the appellant was that she did not have the requisite qualification of five years' teaching experience. According to the 1st respondent, even the claim of the appellant was that she had only 4 = years' teaching experience as Guest Lecturer. It was also pointed out that most part of the experience gained was before she acquired the Ph.D qualification.