JUDGMENT :

THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE ZIYAD RAHMAN A.A.

The issue involved in these cases pertains to the sustainability of the decision taken by the Director of General Education, in publishing the academic calendar for the schools governed by the Kerala Education Act and Rules, for the academic year 2024-2025, by making 25 Saturdays, during the academic year, as working days. In this batch of writ petitions, the challenge is against the said calendar and the competence of the Director of General Education, the 2nd respondent in WP(C)No.21811/2024 (hereinafter referred to as the 2nd respondent) as according to the petitioners, the decision of making Saturdays as working days for the schools, requires amendment in the Statute as it amounts to a change in policy or practice, and the competent authority to take a decision is the State Government, the 1st respondent in WP(C) No.21811/2024 (hereinafter referred to as the respondent). (For convenience, the Exhibits are mentioned hereinafter, as referred to in WP(C)No.21811/2024, which is treated as the leading case, unless otherwise specifically mentioned)

2. Before considering the rival contentions, the circumstances under which the Ext.P3