N. Kumar, J.

In all these writ petitions, the petitioners have challenged the order passed by the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal dated 25.5.2009 striking down The Karnataka Civil Services (Absorption of persons appointed on contract basis against backlog vacancies in the category of Assistant Engineers and Junior Engineers) in the Departments of the Public Works Engineering, Water Resources and Rural Development and Panchayath Raj (Special Rules) 2005 as being contrary to the provisions of Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution of India and several decisions of the Supreme Court and consequently declaring that all appointments under the said rules are illegal, null and void. The writ petitions are preferred both by the State as well as by the persons whose employment under the said Rules were struck down.

2. For the purpose of convenience, the parties are referred to as they are referred to in the original applications.

FACTUAL MATRIX

3. The Government of Karnataka, on 4.7.1977, revised the policy of reservation in appointments and posts in the State Civil Services and determined 15% in favour of the Scheduled Castes and 3% in favour of the Scheduled Tribes. The Gover