JUDGMENT :

Rastogi, J.

1. Leave granted.

2. The present batch of appeals are directed against the self-same judgment dated 31st July, 2018 passed by the Division Bench of the High Court of Himachal Pradesh at Shimla which upheld the order passed by the Director of the National Institute of Technology without going through the process of selection of the teachers in the higher pay band of Rs. 37400-67000 with AGP Rs.9000 and re-designated as Associate Professor consequent upon completion of three years of service in AGP Rs.8000(6th Central Pay Commission) and directed the appellants to consider their claim for further promotion to the post of Professor, and if found suitable, the teacher may be promoted from the due date with all consequential benefits.

3. The facts in brief have been taken note from Civil Appeal @ SLP(Civil) No. 31892 of 2018, culled out from the record and relevant for the purpose are that the appellant-institution, was initially the Regional Engineering College(REC) (H.P.), Hamirpur. Consequent upon conversion of 14 NITs and 3 RECs including the present institu