JUDGMENT :

1. Since common challenges are raised in all these writ petitions, they are heard together by issuing RULE and making it returnable forthwith.

2. Each petitioner is aggrieved by the orders of promotion issued thereby promoting Assistant Professors to the post of Associate Professors by Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola (for short ‘the University’). In Writ Petition No. 2444 of 2019, the respondent nos. 2 to 5 have been promoted on the post of Associate Professor in the subject of Agricultural Botany. In Writ Petition No. 2471 of 2019, the respondent nos. 4 to 10 have been promoted on the post of Associate Professor in the subject of Agronomy and in Writ Petition No. 2806 of 2019, the respondent nos. 2 and 3 have been promoted on the post of Associate Professor in the subject of Agricultural Economics.

3. On 16.11.2017, the University issued a notification inviting proposals from eligible candidates for effecting promotions to the post of Associate Professor. That notification referred to an earlier letter issued by the University dated 17.10.2017. In the notification it was stated that the last date for submission of proposals was 06.11.2017. By the said notification, the Scrutiny and Assessment Committee for considering the respective candidatures for promotion was constituted. On 18.01.2018, the Registrar of the University issued a communication to all the concerned Assistant Professors that on scrutiny of the said proposals the Committee had found that majority of the proposals did not provide evidence to establish eligibility as per the Maharashtra Agricultural Universities Statutes, 1990 (for short ‘the Statute’) and especially Statute 73. The candidates were thus requested to submit relevant documents to establish their eligibility by 20.01.2018. In the meanwhile, on 25.01.2018 in view of the fact that the process of promotion was underway, the Vice Chancellor of the University issued orders of temporary promotion thereby promoting various Assistant Professors to the post of Associate Professor on ad-hoc basis for a period of eleven months. Thereafter on 21.12.2018 this period of eleven months was further extended for a period of one month under the emergency powers of the Vice Chancellor. The extended period was till 24.01.2019.

4. On 03.01.2019, a special meeting of the Academic Council was held. Subject No. 12/2019 pertained to the modalities in the matter of effecting promotions on the post of Associate Professor especially in the light of Statute 75 of the Statutes. Resolution No. 10/2019 was accordingly passed in which it was stated that Statute 75 permitted modifications to be made in the manner in which the Selection Committee had to discharge its functions. Reference was made to an earlier meeting held under the Chairmanship of the Director, Higher Education on 27.11.2018 in which it was decided that for effecting promotions to the posts of Assistant Professor and Associate Professor the seniority of the candidates and minimum educational qualification as prescribed by Statute 73 (Schedule III) alongwith the Academic Performance Index (API) points obtained under the Performance Based Appraisal System (PBAS) and confidential reports should be taken into consideration. Similarly, the candidature of eligible candidates in the ratio of 1:2 instead of the earlier ratio of 1:5 was resolved to be taken into consideration after revoking the earlier decision. If no eligible candidate was available by applying the ratio of 1:2 then the candidates were to be considered on the basis of their seniority. This procedure was adopted and the proposal was forwarded to the Executive Council for its acceptance.

5. Thereafter on 07.01.2019, the meeting of the Executive Council of the University was held. Subject No. 28/2019 pertained to deciding the manner in which the Selection Committee under Statute 75 wou