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2.2. It is also contended that taking into account such continuance as Lecturer on contract, petitioners were allowed and taken as members in different committees constituted by the University vide different office orders/notifications issued by the University under Annexure-3 series. Not only that vide order issued on 30.10.2017 under Annexure-4, consolidated remuneration of such Lecturers on contract was revised to Rs.30,000/- per month w.e.f. 01.11.2017 and all Lecturers engaged on contract were designated as "Lecturer on Contract". Vide the said order, it was also indicated that after implementation of the 7th CPC Pay Scale in Central // 4 // University of Odisha, remuneration of such lecturers on contract will be enhanced to Rs.35,000/- per month.

2.11. It is contended that in terms of the interim order passed by this Court in W.P.(C) No.11725 of 2019, W.P.(C) No.11593 of 2019 and W.P.(C) No.13022 of 2019 and the interim order passed in the present case on 16.02.2023 so modified vide order dated 23.11.2023, all the petitioners are continuing as Lecturer on Contract as on date. 2.12. Learned counsel for the petitioners however contended that since the petitioners were all engaged // 9 // by facing due selection process pursuant to the advertisement/notification issued by the University at different point of time vide Annexure-E series to the counter affidavit and all the petitioners were so engaged against sanctioned regular post and petitioners also possess the required qualification to teach in Under Graduate and Post Graduate level, they are eligible and entitled to be absorbed as against the post in which they were initially engaged vide orders issued under Annexure-1 series, save and except Petitioner No.6, who in the meantime has already been appointed as against the regular post of Assistant Professor in the department of Mathematics, pursuant to Annexure-12. 2.13. It is contended that in the counter affidavit so filed by the Opp. Party-University, O.P. Nos.1 & 2 have clearly admitted that petitioners were appointed as Lecturer on Contract against sanctioned regular post. It is also admitted in the counter affidavit that petitioners possess required qualification to teach in Under Graduate and Post Graduate Level and // 10 // accordingly they were selected as Lecturer on Contract vide their initial orders of appointment. Stand taken in Para-25 of the counter affidavit reads as follows:-

6. I have heard Mr. C.K. Agrawal, learned counsel for the petitioners, Mr. B. Routray, learned Sr. Counsel along with Mr. Sarbeswar Behera, learned counsel appearing for O.P. Nos.1 and 2 and Mr. T.K. Satapathy, learned counsel appearing for O.P. No.3. With due exchange of the pleadings and on the consent of learned counsels appearing for the parties, the matter was heard at the stage of admission and disposed of by the present order.

7. Having heard learned counsel for the parties, considering the submissions made and after going through the materials available in the record, this Court finds that pursuant to the notifications issued by the University at different point of time vide Annexure-E series to the counter affidavit so filed by the University, petitioners were all engaged as Guest // 42 // Faculty/Junior Consultant/Lecturer on Contract vide different orders issued under Annexure-1 series starting from 15.07.2015 to 05.06.2018. 7.1. Engagement of the petitioners were subsequently extended from time to time vide different orders issued under Annexure-2 series starting from 03.08.2015. While so extending engagement of the petitioners on contractual basis, engagement of the petitioners was taken as against the post of Lecturer (on contract). It is also found that consolidated salary of petitioners was enhanced at different point of time and petitioners were allowed to continue in different committees formed by the University so found under Annexure-3 series. 7.2. It is also found that while the petitioners were so continuing as Lecturer on contract on contractual basis, when the University vide office order dated 01.07.2019 relieved the petitioners from their engagement w.e.f. 30.06.2019 vide office order dated 01.07.2019 under Annexure-8 and a fresh // 43 // notification was issued calling for walk in interview for empanelment of Guest Faculty vide notification dated 01.07.2019 under Annexure-9, the same was challenged by the present petitioners by filing W.P.(C) Nos.11593, 13022 & 11725 of 2019. Pursuant to the interim order passed by this Court on 09.07.2019 and 22.07.2019 as well as 06.08.2019 under Annexure-10 series, petitioners were allowed to continue in their respective departments. However, as found from the counter affidavit so filed by the University, all the advertisement issued by the University at different point of time were withdrawn by the University, save and except the impugned advertisement dated 23.01.2023 issued under Annexure-12.

7.3. It is also found from the record and as admitted by the University, all the petitioners were appointed as Lecturer on Contract against sanctioned regular posts and it is also not disputed that the petitioners possess the required qualification to teach at Under Graduate and Post Graduate level. As further found // 44 // from the UGC Regulation, 2018 so notified on 18.07.2018 under Annexure-D, the essential qualification for engagement/appointment of Asst. Professor on temporary basis and regular basis as provided under Regulation 10(f) is same. 7.4. All the petitioners were engaged on temporary basis as Lecturer on Contract pursuant to the selection process initiated by the University vide Annexure-E series to the counter affidavit. Taking into account the fact that the petitioners were all engaged as Lecturer on contract against sanctioned regular post in terms of the selection process initiated under Annexure-E series and petitioners since possess the required qualification to hold the post of Asst. Professor on regular basis, placing reliance on the decisions so cited (supra), this Court is of the view that petitioners are eligible and entitled to get the benefit of absorption in their respective posts in which they are engaged vide orders issued under Annexure-1 series.