JUDGMENT

Dharmadhikari, J.-In the appeal, preferred by the State of Bihar against the judgment dated 31.1.1997 of the High Court of Patna, the dispute is concerning the absorption of about 4,000 employees working on teching and non-teaching posts in 40 colleges affiliated to various universities which were taken over as constituent colleges in accordance with the provisions of Bihar Universities Act, 1976. The aforementioned affiliated colleges were made constituent colleges of respective universities under the Resolution of the Government of Bihar taken in the year 1986 and implemented by the respective universities on entering into formal agreements with the affiliated colleges in the year 1987.

2. This appeal is being decided along with the connected special leave petition and contempt petitions. Our decision in the present main appeal, which we take as a lead case, would dispose of all other connected cases and interlocutory applications.

3. It is not necessary for us to go into all the facts and details as we would be confining our decision to the legal issues raised before us.

4. The necessary factual background for the purpose of understanding the legal issues raised before this