( 1 ) THESE appeals have been preferred by the State of West Bengal and the West Bengal Board of Examination for admission to Engineering, Medical and Technological Degree Colleges, hereinafter referred to as the Board, against the judgment and order of a learned single Judge making absolute the Rule Nisi issued on the application of the writ petitioners who are some unsuccessful candidates in the Joint Entrance Examination for the year 1982 held by the Board. Initially, one of the writ applications was filed by Dr. Jitendra Lal Banerjee and his son Jayanta Banerjee. Jayanta Banerjee appeared in the Joint Entrance Examination for 1982, but was unsuccessful. Although there was no specific prayer in the writ petition under Order 1, Rule 8 of the Civil P. C. . , it appears that the learned Judge granted leave under the said provision. After the leave was granted, a few unsuccessful candidates also appeared and were permitted to be added as writ petitioners. The added writ petitioners filed affidavits supporting the original writ petitioners.

( 2 ) BEFORE we proceed to deal with the cases of the respective parties we may, at this stage, refer to the establishment of th