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PETITIONER: DIWAKAR SHRIVASTAVA AND ORS.

       Vs.

RESPONDENT: STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH AND ORS.

DATE OF JUDGMENT02/02/1984

BENCH: REDDY, O. CHINNAPPA (J) BENCH: REDDY, O. CHINNAPPA (J) VENKATARAMIAH, E.S. (J) MISRA, R.B. (J)

CITATION:  1984 AIR  468            1984 SCR  (2) 792  1984 SCALE  (1)141

ACT:      Civil Procedure-Persons  likely to  be affected must be impleaded as parties.      Natural Justice-Applicability of.

HEADNOTE:      The appellants  questioned the  relaxation  granted  to candidates  belonging  to  Scheduled  Castes  and  Scheduled Tribes  in  regard  to  the  minimum  qualifying  marks  for admission  into   the  medical   colleges  without  properly impleading the persons who were likely to be affected if the submissions of the appellants were accepted.      Dismissing the appeals, ^      HELD:  Rules  of  natural  justice  apply  as  much  to proceedings in  courts  of  law  as  to  proceedings  before authorities elsewhere.  It  may  be  that  where  a  general question is  involved and  a large  number  of  persons  are concerned, the court may, in appropriate cases, permit a few of them  to be  sued in  a representative  capacity  or  may consider them  as sufficiently represented by a few who have been properly impleaded as parties. [793F-G]      In the  instant case no effort has been made to implead any  person  likely  to  be  affected  as  a  party  to  the proceedings. The question of the legality or validity of the relaxation  granted  in  their  favour  cannot  possibly  be decided in their absence. [793G; F]

JUDGMENT:      CIVIL APPELLATE  JURISDICTION : Civil Appeal Nos, 6407- 6408 of 1983.      Appeals by  Special leave  from the  Judgment and order dated the  17th March, 1983 of the Madhya Pradesh High Court in Misc Petition Nos. 1232 and 1604 of 1982.                             WITH              Civil Appeal Nos. 8201-04 of 1983.      Appeals by  Special leave  from the  Judgment and order dated the 22nd August, 1983 of the Madhya Pradesh High Court in Misc. Petitions Nos. 1876, 1908, 1909 and 1976 of 1983.

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793                             AND                Civil Appeal No. 8200 of 1983.      Appeal by  Special leave  from the  Judgment and  order dated the  6th September,  1983 of  the Madhya  Pradesh High Court in Misc. Petition No. 2140 of 1983.      Shiv Dayal, G. L. Sanghi, Mukul Mudgal and J. P. Sanghi for the Appellants.      A. K.  Sanghi, S.  R. Agawala  and V.  K Chitre for the Respondents.      C. L. Sahu for the Intervener Madanlal.      The Judgment of the Court was delivered by      CHINNAPPA REDDY,  J.  The  appellants  in  the  several appeals  before   us  question  the  relaxation  granted  to candidates  belonging   to  the  Scheduled  Castes  and  the Scheduled Tribes  in regard  to the minimum qualifying marks for admission  into the  medical colleges  of the  State  of Madhya Pradesh.  We are  afraid we  have to  throw out these appeals on the preliminary ground that the persons likely to be affected  if we agree with the submissions made on behalf of the  appellants, that is, the candidates belonging tot he Scheduled Castes  and the  Scheduled Tribes who have secured admission into  the medical  colleges as  a  result  of  the relaxation granted  to them  have not been brought before us by being  properly impleaded  as parties. We fail to see how the question  of the  legality or validity of the relaxation granted in  their favour  can possibly  be decided  in their absence.  Rules   of  natural   justice  apply  as  much  to proceedings in  courts  of  law  as  to  proceedings  before authorities elsewhere.  It  may  be  that  where  a  general question is  involved and  a large  number  of  persons  are concerned, the court may, in appropriate cases, permit a few of them  to be  sued in  a representative  capacity  or  may consider them  as sufficiently represented by a few who have been  properly   impleaded  as  parties.  That  is  not  the situation here.  No effort  has been  made  to  implead  any person likely  to be  affected as a party to the proceeding. All the  appeals are  liable to  be dismissed  on this short ground.      The learned  counsel for the appellants urged that some seats reserved  for the  Scheduled Castes  and the Scheduled Tribes which  have  not  been  filled  on  account  of  non- availability of candidates. 794 have to  be transferred  to the  general category  under the rules and  are, therefore,  available for  candidates coming under the  general category.  The counsel for the appellants suggests that  the several  appellants may  be  accommodated against these vacancies and directed to be admitted into one or other  of the  medical colleges.  So far  as admission to medical colleges  for the  year 1982-83  is concerned, it is stated in  the additional  counter-affidavit filed on behalf of the  first respondent  that all the seats including those transferred  from  the  reserved  category  to  the  general category have  been filled  and there are no more vacancies. It is, therefore, unnecessary to give any direction in Civil Appeal Nos.  6407 and 6408 which relate to the year 1982-83. The other appeals relate to admissions during the year 1983- 84. In  these cases,  we have  no definite information as to the number of vacancies available. Even if there are a large number of  vacancies, we  cannot give any direction to admit the appellants against those vacancies since we are not in a position to say that appellants are the best candidates from the general  category. All  that we can do is to say that if on  account   of  non-availabity   of  candidates  from  the

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Scheduled Castes  and the  Scheduled Tribes,  there are  any vacancies which  are  required  to  be  transferred  to  the general category  under the  rules, such  vacancies  may  be filled up  from the  general category on the basis of merit. We do  not have any doubt that this will be done. Subject to this direction, the appeals are dismissed. H.S.K.                                    Appeals dismissed. 795