Vacancy After Resignation To Be Filled By Communal Rotation, Not Rank List: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court interpreted the Cochin University of Science and Technology Act and held that when a selected candidate resigns after appointment, the resulting vacancy must be filled through the applicable communal rotation system rather than by drawing from the existing rank list. The Court clarified that once the selection process is completed and appointments are made, the rank list exhausts its purpose. Any subsequent vacancy is a fresh vacancy that must comply with constitutional requirements of reservation and communal representation. The judgment underscores adherence to statutory recruitment frameworks and prevents circumvention of reservation policies through mechanical reliance on merit lists.