PRABIR KUMAR MOHANTY Vs. STATE OF ODISHA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The challenge in the present writ appeal is to an order dtd. 2/4/2018 passed by the learned Single Judge in W.P.(C) No.4281 of 2018 filed by the present Appellant, questioning the rejection of his candidature for the post of Associate Professor for the constituent colleges of the Biju Patnaik University and Technology (BPUT), i.e., the College of Engineering and Technology, Bhubaneswar (CET), Parala Maharaja College of Engineering (PMEC), Berhampur and Government Engineering College (GEC), Kalahandi on the ground that he had not secured the Academic Performance Indicator (API) marks.

(2.) The background facts are that pursuant to the advertisements issued by the BPUT on 26/2/2014 and 30/9/2014 for the post of Associate Professor, the Appellant had applied. On 11/3/2015, a third advertisement was issued by BPUT for regular faculty positions of Professor, Associate Professor and Assistant Professor in the five Centers for Advanced Post Graduate Studies (M. Tech.) of BPUT, Orissa. Three more advertisements were issued on 13th April, 27th June and 21st December of 2015 asking candidates who had applied earlier for the post of Associate Professor to submit the API form duly filled up with required information for each applied post. It is stated that the Appellant filled up his application form along with the self-attested API score.

(3.) BPUT came out with another advertisement dtd. 19/7/2017 for the post of Associate Professor for its constituent colleges. The Appellant is stated to have applied for the post along with all the requisites and API score with separate summary sheet for each Centre. The Selection Committee called the Appellant for an interview on 18/2/2018 with the condition of fulfillment of the required API score. The Appellant is stated to have appeared before the Selection Committee. His API score in Categories-I, II and III was about 263. The Appellant was informed verbally that his API score in Category-III was way below than the required score 300. He was accordingly debarred from attending the interview.