In all these petitions, the constitutional validity of the Act known and called as ‘The Karnataka Private Aided Educational Institutions Employees (Regulation of Pay, Pension and Other Benefits) Act, 2014, (for short ‘Act No.7/2004’) is under challenge. Petitioners are also seeking for treating the employees of aided private educational institutions who have been admitted to grant-in-aid on par with employees working in Government Educational Institutions in providing service benefits.

2. I have heard the arguments of Sriyuths Janardhan G., Vittal S Teli, J.S. Shetty, A.S. Patil, Sharmila M. Patil, learned counsel appearing on behalf of petitioners and Sri A.G. Shivanna, learned Additional Advocate General along with Sri Ravi V Hosamani, learned Additional Government Advocate appearing on behalf of respondent/State. In few of the writ petitions, the institutions in which the petitioners are working have also been arrayed as parties and notices issued to them either has been served, represented or unserved and yet to be served. Their presence or absence and their say in these writ petitions would have no bearing on the contentions raised by the petitioners in aid of the relief