State Universities Act, 2000,1 issued an advertisement dated 1 Hereinafter, referred to as the ‘Universities Act’. 121.03.2018 for filling up backlog vacancies to posts reserved for scheduled castes (SC’s) and scheduled tribes (ST’s). Of the 34 posts advertised for Assistant Professors, one post of Assistant Professor in the department of English was reserved for a candidate belonging to the ST community. 3. The advertisement provides that qualifications for the post shall be as provided under the UGC Regulations, 2010 and the UGC (4th Amendment) Regulations, 2016. The ‘Mode of Selection’, or the method of selection, as specified in the advertisement, is important.2 It is provided that the list of selected candidates will be prepared as per the Karnataka State Civil Services (Unfilled Vacancies Reserved For Persons Belonging to the SC’s and ST’s) (Special Recruitment) Rules, 2001, hereinafter referred to as the ‘2001 Rules’. Rule 6 of the 2001 Rules provides for a preference in favour