JUDGMENT

The petitioner states that he belongs to the Scheduled Tribe Community.

He is a Ph.D. holder in Zoology and has acquired an M.Sc in Zoology with a specialization in Wildlife Biology. He had approached this Court, seeking the following reliefs:

i. to declare the candidature of the Respondent No. 4 to be illegal and impermissible under the Ext P1 & Ext P3 Notifications.

ii. to set aside the selection and appointment of Respondent No.4.

iii. to direct Respondent No.3 to appoint the Petitioner to the post of Scientist B- Wild Life Biology forthwith.

iv. to direct the Respondent No.3 to compensate the Petitioner against the blatant discrimination against him.

v. to order the Respondents to pay the costs of this Petition.

2. The short facts of the case, as is discernible from the pleadings, are as under:

a) The Kerala State Council for Science, Technology & Environment is an Institution conducting research in Tropical Forestry and Biodiversity Conservation. The 3rd respondent issued Ext.P1 notification dated 14.8.2018 inviting applications to the post of Scientists in various disciplines. Ext.P1 notification was challenged before this Court by certain aspirants to the post on the ground