( 1 ) SPECIAL leave granted.

( 2 ) THE appellant Sivamoorthy acquired a degree in MA in Criminology and Phd for his thesis on "spatial Pattern of Crimes and Criminal Behaviour in Madras City: A Criminal Geographical Study". He was selected as a reader in Criminology by a Selection Board comprising a retired Judge of the High Court of Madras, Vice-Chancellor of Rajasthan University, a professor of Criminology, New Delhi, Professor of Criminology, Varanasi and the Director General of Police, Madras. The Vice-Chancellor of the university of Madras was the ex officio Chairman of the aforesaid Selection board. It appears that his appointment was challenged at the instance of one t. A. Chidambaram, a student who desired to do MA with Criminology. He challenged his appointment on the ground that he did not possess the required qualification in the subject of Criminology to be appointed as reader in Criminology in the University of Madras.

( 3 ) THE qualifications prescribed by the University for the post in question at the relevant point of time were as under:1. a first or second class postgraduate degree in the subject or related subject;2. Phd degree in the subject with not less than 5