ANJU Vs. COCHIN UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The essential challenge in this batch of writ petitions, being considered together, relate to the process of selection undertaken by the Cochin University of Science & Technology (CUSAT) to the posts of Assistant Professor (Life Science/Biotechnology with specialisation in Molecular Biology) and Assistant Professor (Life Science/Biotechnology with specialisation in Genetic Engineering).

(2.) Since all these cases involve essentially similar issues, reliefs sought therein being concatenated with each other and the nature of the pleadings and submissions being such that those in one would impact the others, it is only appropriate and Aidoneus that I consider all these cases together and dispose them jointly. However, for the sake of convenience I treat W.P. (C) No. 23829/2015 as the lead case and any reference to parties and documents in this judgment, unless otherwise specifically mentioned, would be as is obtaining in the said writ petition.

(3.) I have heard the learned Senior Counsel Sri. N.N. Sugunapalan, assisted by Sri. S. Sujin, learned Senior Counsel Sri. K. Jaju Babu, assisted by Sri. Brijesh Mohan, Sri. P.C. Sasidharan, Sri. P.A. Aziz, Sri. John Joseph, appearing for the petitioners in the respective writ petitions, Sri. S. Krishnamoorthy, learned Standing Counsel appearing for CUSAT and University Grants Commission (UGC) and Sri. P. Sreekumar, learned counsel appearing for the respondents in some of the writ petitions.