ORDER :

M. DHANDAPANI, J.

The petitioner has filed this writ petition seeking issuance of Writ of Certiorarified Mandamus calling for the records from the second respondent (i.e. The Registrar, The Tamil Nadu Dr.Ambedkar Law University) relating to the list of selected candidates for the post of Assistant Professors in Sociology published vide proceedings relating to the list of selected candidates dated 19.12.2023 and quash the same in so far as is declares the third respondent who was initially rejected/ ineligible whereas selected for the post of Assistant Professor in Sociology in General Turn as illegal, arbitrary, discriminative, unconstitutional and without jurisdiction and consequently direct the second respondent to appoint the petitioner for the post of Assistant Professor in Sociology in the second respondent University with effect from 19.12.2023 with pay and salary benefits, service and all other attendant benefits which the petitioner would have been given/ paid and her name has to be included/ published in the selection list of candidates dated 19.12.2023 by the second respondent.

2.The learned counsel appearing for the petitioner submitted that the petitioner studied B.A.Rural Industries and Management with Gold Medal and M.A.Sociology with Gold Medal in Gandhigram Rural University, Dindigul. Subsequently the petitioner did Master of Philosophy in the same University. The petitioner is qualified with UGC NET – JRF with UGC Fellowship and have also done Ph.D. in Sociology in the said University and have completed Post Doctorate (D.Litt.) with ICSSR Fellowship in Gandhigram Rural University.

3.The learned counsel appearing for the petitioner further submitted that the petitioner applied for the post of Assistant Professor on contract basis and appeared before the statutory committee consisting of around 10 members (legal luminaries) including Vice Chancellor, Dean of SOEL, HODs, other Professors and subject experts and was selected and appointed as Assistant Professor on contract basis in the year 2019. The petitioner also worked as Residential Additional Deputy Warden in the law College Women’s Hostel, Chepauk from November, 2021 to November, 2023. Apart from that the petitioner was assigned the work of faculty incharge of concerned Department. The petitioner was also assisting the SOEL office for maintenance and calculating salary hours for the guest lecturers. Whileso, the second respondent issued a notification dated 18.03.2023 calling for eligible candidates for appointment of Assistant Professors in various departments of the second respondent University.

4.The learned counsel appearing for the petitioner further submitted that the petitioner submitted her application for the post of Assistant Professor in Sociology (Inter Disciplinary) and the second respondent published the list of eligible candidates, wherein, the petitioner’s name was found in serial no.7 and the second respondent published the list of rejected applications, wherein, the third respondent’s name was found. However, the third respondent was selected to the post of Assistant Professor in Sociology.

5.The learned counsel appearing for the petitioner further submitted that as per the UGC Notification dated 18.07.2018, the required qualification for the post of Assistant Professor is a Master’s Degree with 55% marks in a concerned/ relevant/allied subject from an Indian University or an equivalent Degree from an accredited foreign University. Besides fulfilling the above qualifications, the candidate must have cleared the National Eligibility Test (NET) conducted by the UGC or the CSIR, or a similar test accredited by the UGC, like SLET/SET or who are or have been awarded a Ph.D.Degree in accordance with the University Grants Commission (Minimum Standards and Procedure for Award of M.Phil./Ph.D Degree) Regulations, 2009 or 2016 and their amendments from time to time as the case may be exempted from NET/SLET/SET.

6.The learned counsel appearing for t