JOVITA JAMES Vs. THE UNIVERSITY OF KERALA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) These writ petitions pertain to certain disputes regarding the selection and appointment to the post of Assistant Professor (English) at the All Saints' College, Thiruvananthapuram.

(2.) The college invited applications from female candidates for appointment to the post of Assistant Professor in various subjects, including English, as seen from the notification dtd. 26/9/2021. The norms for the selection as above are stated to be pursuant to the prescription issued by the University of Kerala. In response to the notification issued as above, various applications were received. The applications were considered by the scrutiny committee, leading to the preparation of a score sheet. In this score sheet, candidates were included under the open merit and community list. The petitioners in W.P(C) No.36146 of 2022 were included at Serial Nos.4 and 30 under open merit. The name of the 2nd petitioner also figures at serial No.4 in the community merit list. Respondents 6, 7, and 8 in the said writ petition were also included in the open merit; the 8th respondent also figuring in the community merit list. The petitioners state that for a candidate to be called for the interview, one should obtain at least 60 marks in the open merit quota and 55 marks under community quota. They further state that respondents 6, 7, and 8 had scored 60, 60, and 56 marks, respectively, and therefore, got included in the respective quotas. The petitioners state that the inclusion of respondents 6, 7, and 8 as above was incorrect and arbitrary since:

(3.) I have heard Sri.B.Raghunathan, the learned counsel for the petitioners in W.P(C) No.36146 of 2022, Sri.Renjith Thampan, the learned senior counsel for the 6th respondent therein and Sri.George Poonthottam, the learned senior counsel instructed by Smt.Silpa Sreekumar for the 7th and 8th respondents therein. I have also heard Sri. Elvin Peter P.J., the learned senior counsel for the petitioner in W.P(C) No.13773 of 2023, as well as Sri.A.S Shammy Raj, the learned counsel for the Manager of the college, Sri.Thomas Abraham, the learned Standing Counsel for the University, and Sri.N.B. Sunil Nath, the learned Government Pleader.