JUDGMENT :

Nelson Sailo, J.

Heard Mr. A. Zhimomi, learned counsel for the petitioners and Ms. V. Suokhrie, learned Addl. Senior Government Advocate appearing for the State respondents.

2. Claiming to have a common grievance, 25 writ petitioners have joined hands to file the instant writ petition.

3. Brief facts of the case as presented by the petitioners is that they were appointed as Lecturer/Assistant Professors between 01.06.1986 to 13.03.1996 through the Nagaland Public Service Commission (NPSC) under the Department of Higher Education, Govt. of Nagaland. Thereafter, after serving for a number of years, they were placed in the selection grade/Associate Professor. Be it stated herein that in due course of time, the post of Lecturer was re-designated as Assistant Professor and Senior Grade Lecturers as Associate Professors.

4. According to the petitioners, when they entered into their respective services, the eligibility criteria was inter alia a Masters Degree with minimum 55% marks. The statutory rules at the time of their entry into service was the Nagaland Higher Education Service Rules, 1990 (Rules of 1990) which was subsequently repealed by the Nagaland Higher Education Service