1. These writ petitions are directed against the order in Application Nos.2906 to 2907/2012 dated 11.3.2013 whereby the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal, Bangalore, has read down the proviso to Entry 53 of the Schedule to the Karnataka Forest Department Services (Recruitment) Amendment Rules, 2003 (for short 'the Rules') and the notification dated 26.11.2007 relating to appointment of Forest Watchers.

2. The Chief Conservator of Forests and Recruitment Authority, Chamarajanagar Circle, Chamarajnagar, the fourth petitioner herein, issued the notification at Annexure-B dated 27.6.2011 inviting applications from qualified candidates for the selection to 72 posts of Forest Watchers to Work for Forest Tiger, Bandipur. This was followed by yet another notification at Annexure-C dated 1.7.2011 inviting application from the qualified candidates for the selection of 118 posts of Forest Watchers.

3. In response to the said notification, the respondents applied for the post of Forest Watchers under the Schedule Tribe (ST) reserved category and submitted all the documents such as the caste certificate, residential proof certificate, school certificate, etc. The fourth petitioner scrut