JUDGMENT

T.S. THAKUR, J.

1. Leave granted in Petition for Special Leave to Appeal (Civil) No.24775 of 2013.

2. Common questions of law arise for consideration in these appeals which shall stand disposed of by this common order. But before we formulate the questions that fall for determination the factual matrix in which the same arise need to be summarised for a proper appreciation of the controversy.

3. Respondent-V.K. Mahanudevan in Civil Appeal No.3468 of 2007 applied to Tehsildar, Alathur in the State of Kerala for grant of a Scheduled Caste Certificate on the basis that he was a 'Thandan' which was a notified Scheduled Caste. The Tehsildar held an enquiry and found that the appellant did not belong to the Scheduled Caste community and reported the matter to the Director, Scheduled Caste Development Department, who in turn forwarded the case to Director, Kerala Institute for Research, Training and Development Studies of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, ('KIRTADS 'for short) for investigation and report.

4. Aggrieved by the denial of the certificate the respondent filed O.P.No.9216 of 1986 before the High Court of Kerala which was disposed of by the High Court in terms of its o