The Kerala High Court has held that while making appointments to temporary posts of university assistants, either through contractual appointment or on daily wage basis, universities should give preference to candidates included on rank lists prepared by the Public Service Commission (PSC) for the sanctioned posts of university assistants.
The court made it clear that the notifications calling for applicants to such temporary posts should clearly indicate that due preference would be given to candidates included on a current rank list.
The court ordered that they would have no claim whatsoever on any regularisation or permanent absorption solely based on such engagement.
In Cusat
The orders were passed on an appeal by C.V. Biju of Koothattukulam who had figured on the rank list prepared by PSC for appointment to the post of university assistants in various universities. He had challenged the contractual appointments in the post of assistants in universities. He contended that though there was a valid rank list in force, the Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) had created 42 temporary posts of university assistants. The appeal was against the single judge’s verdict dismissing his plea.
List expired
The court pointed out that the rank list in which the petitioner had found a place had already expired. However, some of the temporary posts of university assistants were created when the rank list was valid. The university took the stand that appointment through the PSC was applicable only for the sanctioned posts and the temporary posts were filled through contract appointments.
The court also directed the university to accommodate the petitioner in the temporary vacancy that would arise on April 21, 2021, or thereafter, in the university.
