P. RAVINDRAN & 10 ORS. vs UNION TERRITORY OF PONDICHERRY .

The Supreme Court upheld the Administrative Tribunal's decision rejecting the regularization of ad hoc lecturers, emphasizing that the selection process must adhere to the constitutional mandate under Article 320. The Court reiterated that candidates have a fundamental right to compete for positions through open recruitment, and regularization should not bypass this process. The Court dismissed the special leave petitions but allowed relaxation of the age bar for the petitioners in future recruitment processes.