JUDGMENT :

DEVAN RAMACHANDRAN, J.

1. The petitioners aspire to be appointed as Assistant Professors in Botany and Zoology in the various Universities in Kerala; but they say that they have been precluding from doing so because their qualification, namely M.Sc Biotechnology, has been abruptly ordered by the Government not to be considered as a qualification for such purpose.

2. Smt. Sayujya, representing K.R. Rajeev Krishnan - learned counsel for the petitioners, submitted that, in fact, Government of Kerala had issued an order dated 20.02.2020 - a copy of which is on record as Ext.P4 - stipulating that M.Sc Biotechnology is an eligible qualification for appointment to the post of Assistant Professor in Botany and Zoology in Universities and Colleges; but that without assigning any cogent or reliable reason, they then issued Ext.P5 on 03.03.2020, ordering the stoppage of implementation of the former. The learned counsel submitted that Ext.P5 is, therefore, egregiously improper and is liable to be set aside by this Court.

3. In response, the learned Government Pleader - Smt. Resmi Thomas, submitted that a statement has been filed on behalf of the 2nd respondent, wherein, it has been expl