Govinda Bhat, J.—These Writ Petitions arise under the Imports and Exports (Control) Act, 1947, (Central Act XVIII of 1947), hereinafter called the Act. The petitioners have challenged the actions of the State Government (Respondent 2) and the Director of Industries and Commerce in Mysore (Respondent 1), taken in respect of the applications made by the petitioners for licences for import of stainless steel, for the period April-September, 1963, which resulted in the rejection of the applications by the Assistant Iron and Steel Controller, Madras (Respondent 3), on the ground that no Essentiality Certificate has been received from the Sponsoring Authority in the case of each one of the petitioners, and the petitioners have sought appropriate writs to quash the orders of Respondent 3 rejecting the applications, and for a mandamus to Respondent 1, the Director of Industries and Commerce, to follow the relevant rules and make his recommendations in accordance with law.

(2) Petitioners are manufacturers of stainless steel products, and they have their factories located either in Bangalore or other places within the State of Mysore. Stainless steel is not produced in India and ther