I.A. Ansari, J.

1. Claiming that they have been repeatedly discriminated in granting of pay scale by the State Government, the Nagaland Sericulture Staff Association (hereinafter referred to as 'the Petitioner Association') is before this Court with the present application, made under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, seeking issuance of appropriate writ(s).

2. If put in a narrow compass, the grievances of the Petitioner Association emerge thus: The Petitioner Association is an association of the farm managers and inspectors of the Department of Sericulture, Government of Nagaland, both the farm manager and inspector being interchangeable posts. Till the year 1987, Sericulture was a wing of the Department of Industry and it was, in the year 1988, that a separate Directorate of Sericulture was established by the Government and, in course of time, a separate Department of Sericulture came to be established. The basic minimum qualification for appointment to the post of farm manager/inspector is matriculate with IETC certificate and the same qualification is also required for the purpose of appointment as farm manager/inspector in allied Department, such as, Agriculture,