ORDER
D.V. Shylendra Kumar, J.
1. Writ petition by a person who had applied to the post of ‘Assistant Professor’ in Genetics and Plant Breeding, a post notified for being filled up by the respondent 2-University.
2. The eligibility criteria for the applicants was the post-graduate degree in the subject with a minimum grading/percentage marks/OGPA of 7.5 out of 10. Petitioner being a person who did not have such minimum OGPA is aggrieved by the prescription of such high eligibility criteria and has approached this Court seeking for issue of a writ of certiorari to quash the prescription of such high standard or high eligibility criteria.
3. Notice had been issued to the respondents. Respondent 1 is represented by Smt. Sheela Anish, learned Government Advocate and respondent 2 is represented by Sri KG. Nayak, learned Counsel, who has filed statement of objections also.
4. I have heard Sri Vijaykumar, learned Counsel for the petitioner as also Sri KG. Nayak, learned Counsel for respondent 2.
5. Submission of Sri Vijaykumar, learned Counsel for the petitioner is that the fixation of standard as high as OGPA of 7.5 out of 10 is virtually arbitrary and is rather on the higher side; that the 3rd respondent-University Grants Commission had indicated that minimum of 6.5 OGPA should be insisted and not above such standard; that the other Universities are insisting on the OGPA level of 6.5 out of 10 and it is only the respondent-University who are stipulating higher minimum qualification; that the action is arbitrary etc.
6. On behalf of the respondent 2-University, submission of Sri Nayak, learned Counsel is that the University has been maintaining this minimum qualification ever since the year 1986 onwards; that no doubt the University Grants Commission’s guidelines indicated 6.5 marks as minimum qualification, but the University has been prescribing the higher eligibility criteria for maintaining the standard in the University and it has been found to be more useful and helpful etc.
7. What standards the University should maintain among its teaching faculty is a matter best left to the University. Standards are not fixed by the Courts particularly in academic matters. It may be true that other Universities may be following the guidelines of the University Grants Commission and may indicate minimum OGPA level of 6.5 out of 10, but if the respondent-University has indicated a higher minimum qualification, that by itself cannot render such action as arbitrary as the University has been applying this norm to all applicants.
8. I do not find any discrimination or arbitrariness in prescribing such eligibility criteria.
9. Writ petition is dismissed.