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Madras High CourtWP/500/2026disposed of with direction

Sathish Kumar, v. State Of Tamil Nadu

2026-01-19Honourable Mr Justice M.Dhandapani6 pages

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS

DATED: 19-01-2026

CORAM

THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE M.DHANDAPANI W.P.No.500 of 2026 and W.M.P.Nos.614 & 617 of 2026

1. Sathish Kumar

2. Gokulavasan Ramagoundar

3. Jeyachandran K

4. Navin S

5. Nasar Ali M

6. Shobia Murugesan

7. Mahadevan C

8. Hemavathi R

9. Marimuthu A 10.Sugannya 11.Chandrasekaran C 12.Ganeshamoorthi ..Petitioner(s) Vs

1. State of Tamil Nadu Rep.by its Agricultural Production Commissioner and Secretary to Government, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department, Fort St. George, Chennai 600 009.

2. The Director of Agriculture, Chepauk, Chennai 600 005.

3. The SecretaryTamil Nadu Public Service Commission, TNPSC Road, Broadway, Chennai 600 003.

..Respondent(s) __________Page 1 of 6

This writ petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India praying to issue a Writ of Certiorarified Mandamus calling for records relating to the order of the 3rd respondent dated 22.12.2025 vide, in Advertisement No.728 in No. 19/2025 so far as the direct recruitment to the post of Assistant Director of Agriculture alone more fully specified in para 3, inner S.I.No.2 of the Impugned notification above stated and quash the same. For Petitioner(s) :

Mr.Srinath Sridevan, Senior Counsel for Mr.S.Lakshmikanth For Respondent(s) :

Mr.Suresh Kumar, Additional Advocate General for Mr.T.M.Rajangam, Govt. Advocate For R1 & R2 Mr.R.Baranidharan For TNPSC (R3)

ORDER

This writ petition is filed to call for records relating to the order of the 3rd respondent dated 22.12.2025 vide, in Advertisement No.728 in No. 19/2025 so far as the direct recruitment to the post of Assistant Director of Agriculture alone more fully specified in para 3, inner S.I.No.2 of the Impugned notification above stated and quash the same.

2. The case of the petitioners is that the petitioners are working as Agriculture Officers in the first respondent department. This being so, the third __________Page 2 of 6

respondent issued notification for direct recruitment to the post of Assistant Director of Agriculture (ADA) for a total vacancy of 26 posts, without promoting the petitioners to the said post. In fact, the post of Agricultural Officer is the feeder category for the post of Assistant Director of Agriculture. Aggrieved by the said notification, the petitioners have come forward with the present writ petition.

3. Learned senior counsel for the petitioners would submit that for thepost of Assistant Director of Agriculture, the Tamil Nadu Agricultural Extension Service Special Rules, 1981 prescribes the ratio of 1:5 i.e., one direct recruitment for every five promotees and that the direct recruitment to the post of Assistant Director of Agriculture shall be made only from the substantive vacancies. In this regard, the petitioners have sent a representation dated 08.12.2025 and supplementary representation dated 08.12.2025 to the respondents 1 & 2, enumerating and establishing as to how the direct recruitment for appointment of Assistant Director of Agriculture ought to be considered i.e., by calling for applications for vacancies only for substantive posts. However, without considering the same, the third respondent herein issued a notification inviting applications for direct recruitment to the post of Assistant Director of Agriculture which does not have a substantive post. __________Page 3 of 6

4. Learned senior counsel appearing for the petitioners would submit that though very many grounds have been raised in this writ petition, it would be suffice, if this Court issues direction to the first respondent to consider the petitioners' representations dated 08.12.2025 and 29.01.2026, within a period of two weeks, since the respondents are going to finalize the entire process on 24.01.2026.

5. Learned Additional Advocate General appearing for the respondents would fairly submit that the petitioners' representation dated 08.12.2025 and the supplementary representation dated 29.01.2026 will be considered on or before 30.01.2026.

6. Heard the learned counsel on either side and perused the materials available on record.

7. In view of the above submission made by the learned counsel on either side, this Court without going into the merits of the case, directs the first respondent to consider the petitioners' representation dated 08.12.2025 and supplementary representation dated 29.01.2026 and pass appropriate orders on merits and in accordance with law within a period of two weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order.

__________Page 4 of 6

With the aforesaid direction, this writ petition stands disposed of. No costs. Consequently, connected miscellaneous petitions are closed. 19-01-2026 Index: Yes/No Speaking/Non-speaking order vm To:

1. The Agricultural Production Commissioner and Secretary to Government, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department, Fort St. George, Chennai 600 009.

2. The Director of Agriculture, Chepauk Chennai 600 005.

3. The Secretary, Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission, TNPSC Road, Broadway, Chennai 600 003.

__________Page 5 of 6

M.DHANDAPANI, J.

VM 19-01-2026 __________Page 6 of 6