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3. The factual matrix in which the petition has been  preferred   is   that,   the   Commissioner   of   Technical  Education,   issued   an   advertisement   on   his   Website   in  the month of February, 2013, for filling up the vacant  posts   of   Assistant   Professors/Lecturers   in   Government  Engineering   Colleges   and   Government   Polytechnics,   on  contractual basis, for a fixed period of eleven months  or   till   regularly   selected   candidates   by   the   Gujarat  Public   Service   Commission   ("GPSC",   for   short),   are  available,   whichever   is   earlier.   The   petitioners  applied   for   the   said   posts   in   Government   Engineering  Colleges and Government Polytechnics, across the State  of   Gujarat.   As   they   possess   the   requisite  qualifications for the said posts, they were appointed  C/SCA/684/2014 JUDGMENT as   Assistant   Professors/Lecturers   by   issuing  appointment   orders   of   various   dates.   The   appointment  orders   of   the   petitioners   are   identical   in   all   cases  and   contain   the   same   terms   and   conditions.   The  petitioners   were   appointed   on   a   monthly   salary   of  Rs.30,000/­   in   the   cases   of   Assistant   Professors   in  Government Engineering Colleges and Rs.25,000/­ in the  cases   of  Lecturers   in   Government   Polytechnics.   As   per  condition   No.1   of   the   appointment   letters,   the   period  of   appointment   was   for   eleven   months   or   till   the  availability   of   regularly   selected   candidates   by   the  GPSC. In the present cases, the period of eleven months  was to come to an end in the month of February, 2014.  Apprehending   the   termination   of   their   services   and  before the completion of the period of eleven  months,  the   petitioners   approached   this   Court   by   filing   the  present   petition.   By   an   order   dated   20.01.2014   passed  in Special Civil Application No.709/2014 and connected  matters   (and   similar   orders   in   other   petitions),   this  Court,   following   the   judgment   dated   07.09.2011   passed  by   the   Division   Bench   in   Letters   Patent   Appeal  No.2986/2010   and   allied   matters,   protected   the  petitioners by way of an ad­interim arrangement to the  C/SCA/684/2014 JUDGMENT effect   that   the   service   conditions   of   the   petitioners  would not be altered on the ground that their contract  has   come   to   an   end.  This   arrangement   was   to   continue  till further orders. The Court also made it clear that  this   order   would   not   confer   any   right   upon   the  petitioners. It may be noted  that  during  the pendency  of the present petition, the State Government issued a  fresh   advertisement   on   20.01.2014,   for   recruitment   to  the   posts   of   Assistant   Professors/Lecturers   in  Government   Engineering   Colleges   and   Government  Polytechnics,  again for a period of eleven months, on  terms   and   conditions   identical   to   the   cases   of   the  petitioners before this Court. 

6. Mr.D.C.Dave,   learned   Senior   Advocate   with  Mr.P.A.Jadeja,   learned   advocate   for   the   petitioners,  has   submitted   that   the   petitioners   are   eligible   and  qualified   for   the   posts   of   Assistant  Professors/Lecturers   in   Government   Engineering  Colleges and Government Polytechnics, as the case may  be.   All   the   petitioners   possess   the   requisite  qualifications   to   be   appointed   by   the   GPSC   and   are  working   against   sanctioned   posts   that   have   been  determined   by   the   All   India   Council   for   Technical  Education,   which   decides   the   student­teacher   ratio.  The   petitioners   have  been   appointed  for   a  period   of  eleven   months   or   till   the   availability   of   regularly  selected candidates by the GPSC, whichever is earlier,  and have accepted the terms and conditions by filing  declarations. However, it is an undisputed fact that  during   their   tenure   of   eleven   months,   no   regularly  appointed   candidates   from   the   GPSC   were   available.  This situation has continued till date, and is likely  to   continue,   as   the   process   of   appointment   of  regularly selected candidates is likely to take some  C/SCA/684/2014 JUDGMENT time.   Even   before   the   expiry   of   eleven   months,   the  State Government sought to  terminate the services of  the petitioners by issuing a fresh advertisement dated  20.01.2014,   despite   the   fact   that   no   regularly  selected   candidates   were   available.   By   way   of   the  fresh   advertisement,   the   State   Government   sought   to  fill up the vacancies that would have arisen by the  termination   of   the   services   of   the   petitioners,  intending to replace them with another set of ad­hoc  employees, with similar terms and conditions.  

12.4 Reiterating   the   right   of   the   State   Government   to  terminate   the   services   of   the   petitioners   and   replace  them with fresh ad­hoc/contractual employees on the same  terms   and   conditions,  the   learned   Assistant   Government  Pleader prays that the petition be rejected.

13. Mr.D.G.Shukla, learned advocate has appeared for  the Gujarat Public Service Commission. He submits that  the GPSC has issued an advertisement dated 30.09.2013  for   filling   up   the   vacancies   of   Assistant  Professors/Lecturers   in   Government   Engineering  Colleges   and   Government   Polytechnics   on   permanent  basis, pursuant to the requisition received from the  State Government on 07.08.2013. In all, there are 1856  posts   to   be   filled   up.   The   recruitment   process   has  commenced,   but   is   at   different   stages   for   different  subjects. It is submitted that applications have been  received   and   in   some   subjects   preliminary  tests   are  C/SCA/684/2014 JUDGMENT yet to be conducted, while in certain other subjects  interviews have been held. In certain other subjects,  interviews   are  yet   to   be   held.   The   learned   advocate  for the GPSC submits that now the State Government has  come out with another Notification dated 28.10.2013,  regarding equivalence of qualifications. Due to this,  the   GPSC   will   have   to   conduct   the   exercise   of  consultation with the State Government and issuance of  a Corrigendum for those left out candidates, who can  claim equivalence. The entire recruitment process is,  therefore, likely to take some time and at least 10 to  12   months   will   be   required   to   complete   it.   In   the  subjects   where   the   recruitment   process   will   be   over  earlier,   the   GPSC   will   recommend   the   names   of   the  candidates   for   the   subject   in   which   the   recruitment  process has culminated. The entire recruitment process  is likely to be completed in a phased manner. 

19. This Court has heard Mr.D.C.Dave, learned Senior  Counsel for the petitioners, Ms.Moxa Thakker, learned  Assistant Government Pleader for respondents Nos.1 and  2 and Mr.D.G.Shukla, learned advocate for respondent  No.3, at length and considered the material on record  as well as the submissions advanced at the Bar. 

20. It is not disputed that the petitioners possess  the   requisite   qualifications   for   the   posts   of  Assistant   Professors/Lecturers   in   Government  Engineering   Colleges   and   Government   Polytechnics,   as  required by the GPSC. However, the fact remains that  at  the   relevant   period   of   time   when  the   petitioners  came to be appointed, no regularly selected candidates  by the GPSC were available to fill up the said posts.  Moreover,   the   GPSC   had   not   received   any   requisition  from the State Government for regular recruitment. The  State Government, therefore, resorted to the practice  C/SCA/684/2014 JUDGMENT of  issuing   an   advertisement   for   filling   up   the   said  posts on contractual basis for a period of 11 months  or till the regularly selected candidates by the GPSC  are available. It may be noted that the Division Bench  of   this   Court,   in   the   judgment   dated   07.09.2011,  passed   in   Letters   Patent   Appeal   No.2986/2010   and  connected   matters,   was   dealing   with   an   identical  situation.   In   the   said   judgment,   the   Division   Bench  has   directed   the   State   Government   to   take   steps   to  fill up the remaining 1106 vacant posts and any other  vacancies   that   may   have   arisen   of   Assistant  Professor/Lecturer in Government Engineering Colleges  and Government Polytechnics. The State Government was  directed to forward its requisition to the GPSC on an  earlier   date.   The   requisition   pursuant   to   the   said  judgment of the Division Bench has been sent only on  07.08.2013, after almost two years.