ORDER

1. Delay condoned.

2. The special leave petitions arise from the orders of the Administrative Tribunal made on 20-2-1996 in OA No. 290 of 1995 and batch. The petitioners were appointed as Lecturers on ad hoc basis and some of them had obtained M. Phil, Ph.D. also. When the regular recruitment through the Public Service Commission ("the Commission" for short) was conducted, the petitioners also appeared before the Commission but they were not selected. Subsequently, the petitioners filed petitions for regularisation of their services. In the impugned order, the Tribunal has pointed out that since posts are required to be filled up by recruitment from the open market through the Commission, the Tribunal has no power to issue direction to regularise the services. Thus, these special leave petitions.

3. Shri K. M. K. Nair, learned counsel for the petitioners, contended that the petitioners are postgraduates, M. Phil and Ph.D., and they are highly qualified and have acquired experience from 1987 as lecturers. When they were appointed, number of vacancies were available. Since they have been working since 1987, they require to be regularised by suitable directions. We find no force