1. The petitioner is aggrieved with the selection procedure, adopted by the Government for filling up the vacant post of a woman member in the Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, Pathanamthitta. The selection was notified as per Ext.P5. Ext.P5 indicated the essential qualifications for a woman member as enumerated in Section 10(1)(b) of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 (hereinafter referred to as 'the Act'). The petitioner applied under the notification and the petitioner was also found to be eligible to be considered for the post, having satisfied the qualifications as stipulated in the Act. Later the petitioner was informed that the District Collector is intending to short list 5 candidates from among the 25 who applied. The petitioner was before this Court challenging the short listing attempted. This Court granted a stay of selection till the disposal of the writ petition.

2. The question hence is only on the procedure as prescribed in the Act and the Rules. The petitioner has also raised a challenge to the rule prescribing short listing by the District Collector; Rule 7 of the Consumer Protection (Kerala) Rules, 2005 (hereinafter referred to as 'the Kerala Rules'). Th