P.SATHEESH Vs. TUNJATHU EZHUTHACHAN MALAYALAM UNIVERSITY

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The captioned writ petitions are materially connected in respect of the notification issued by the 1st respondent University to the post of Assistant Professor in different Faculties under it and the consequential selection conducted and its illegality. Therefore, I heard them together and propose to deliver this common judgment. In order to dispose of the writ petitions, the facts and documents available from W.P. (C) No.33208 of 2016 are relied upon and the fate of the connected writ petition will depend upon the decision taken in the said writ petition. Brief material facts for the disposal of the writ petitions are as follows:

(2.) The Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University i.e., the 1st respondent (hereinafter referred to as 'the University'), issued Ext.P1 notification dated 22.07.2016, inviting applications from eligible candidates for filling up of various posts of Assistant Professors for different Faculties under it. As per clause 4.4.1 of Ext.P2 UGC Regulations, 2010, the requisite qualification for the post of Assistant Professor is 55% marks in Post-Graduate degree in the relevant subject and National Eligibility Test (NET). In case the NET is not conducted in any of the subject, the stipulation shall not be applicable. Further, if the candidate has obtained Ph.D in the relevant subject, the NET qualification is exempted. Thereupon, petitioners who are qualified to be appointed to the post of Assistant Professor in different faculties have applied for the post.

(3.) The 1st petitioner has applied for the post of Assistant Professor in History under the faculty of Cultural Heritage and History. The 2 nd and 3rd petitioners have applied for the post of Assistant Professor in Environmental Studies under the faculty of Social Science. The 4th and 10th petitioners have applied for the post of Assistant Professor, Film Studies under the Faculty of Media Studies. Petitioners 5, 6 and 8 have applied to the post of Assistant Professor, Local Developmental Studies. The 7th and 9th petitioners have applied to the post of Assistant Professor, Sociology. According to the petitioners, they are having sufficient qualifications in accordance with the notification issued by the University. Anyhow, the qualifications of the petitioners are not disputed by any of the respondents.