JUDGMENT :

Education is the fundamental block of life; it not its preparation, but it is life itself. As Joseph Addison said: “what sculpture is to a block of marble, education is to human soul”.

2. Teachers, therefore, are nation builders; and a good one instills hope and ignites imagination in students.

3. The golden words of Dr.S.Radhakrishnan rings loud: “Teacher should be the best minds in the country”. This is much more when it comes to Institutions of higher education.

4. It is obviously in the above hortative perspective that the University Grants Commission (hereinafter called the 'UGC' for short) brought out its Regulations relating to qualifications and manner of direct appointments to various teaching courses in Universities and Colleges, including Associate Professors.

5. Exacting provisions and stipulations have been made by the 'UGC', to which I will refer presently.

6. This Court is now called upon by the petitioner who is stated to be an Assistant Professor in Malayalam -to decide whether inclusion of the 5th respondent in Ext.P4 “Ranked List”, prepared and settled