S.Gayatridevi v. The Joint Director
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
DATED: 25-02-2026
CORAM
THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE M.DHANDAPANI and WMP Nos.4429 and 4431 of 2026 S.Gayatridevi W/o.K.R.Krishna No.37, South street, Nethaji Nagar Thiruvanmiyur Chennai-600 041 ..Petitioner Vs
1. The Joint Director DPI office Chennai-600 006
2. The Chief Educational officer Egmore Chennai-600 008.
3. The District Educational officer Central chennai Saidapet Chennai-600 015.
4. The Secretary Kesari Higher secondary School Chennai-600 004 ..Respondents
Writ Petition filed under Article 226 of Constitution of India, to issue a Writ of Certiorarified Mandamus, calling for the entire records pertaining to the impugned order issued by the 3rd respondent in Na.Ka.No.4590/A6/2023 dated 3.4.2025 and to quash the same and consequently, to direct the respondents 1 to 3 to approve the promotion of the petitioner as P.G Assistant Hindi, with effect from 1.6.2023 with all consequential monetary benefits. For Petitioner(s):
Mr.T.Sellapandian For Respondent(s):
Mrs.Mythreye Chandru Special Government Pleader
ORDER
This petition has been filed challenging the impugned order issued by the 3rd respondent on 3.4.2025 and consequently seeking a direction to the respondents 1 to 3 to approve the promotion of the petitioner as P.G Assistant (Hindi) with effect from 1.6.2023 together with all consequential monetary benefits.
2. The case of the petitioner is that she completed X Standard in 1981 and XII Standard in 1983 under the Board of Intermediate, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh. She obtained her B.Sc. (Chemistry) from Nagarjuna University in 1986 and B.Ed. from Annamalai University in 1994. Thereafter, she joined the
4th respondent school as a Secondary Grade Teacher and was promoted as Junior Grade B.T. Assistant (Science) on 05.01.2004, which promotion was duly approved on 12.01.2004. The petitioner acquired the degree of Rashtrabhasha Praveen in 2006 from Dakshina Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha, Madras, and subsequently obtained M.A. Hindi from Madurai Kamaraj University in 2011. She was further promoted as P.G. Assistant (Hindi) on 01.06.2023, and the 4th respondent forwarded the proposal to the 2nd respondent for approval of her promotion. However, the 2nd respondent has not passed any orders on the said proposal till date. Her SSLC and XII certificates were sent by the 4th respondent to the Controller of Examinations, Board of Intermediate Education, Andhra Pradesh, Tadepalli, Guntur, for verification. By proceedings dated 10.08.2021 and 11.07.
2022, the Controller certified that the certificates are genuine. Subsequently, by proceedings dated 02.09.2024, the 3rd respondent issued an equivalence certificate declaring that her SSLC obtained in Andhra Pradesh is equivalent to the SSLC issued by the Director of Government Examinations, Tamil Nadu. However, by order dated 03.04.2025, the 3rd respondent held that her XII Standard certificate is not equivalent to that issued by the Directorate of Government Examinations, Tamil Nadu, on the ground that she had secured 32.5% in English, which is below the minimum of 35%. It is submitted that under the rules prevailing in Andhra Pradesh, a candidate securing 30% marks in each paper and 35% marks in aggregate in one attempt is declared as having passed the XII examination.
qualification, the petitioner pursued and completed her B.Sc. (Chemistry), which has already been recognized as equivalent by the State of Tamil Nadu. For the post of P.G. Assistant (Hindi), the required qualification is a U.G. and P.G. degree in Hindi. The petitioner has duly acquired Rashtrabhasha Praveen in 2006, which is equivalent to a U.G. degree, and M.A. Hindi in 2011. Therefore, respondents 2 and 3 are bound to approve her appointment as P.G. Assistant (Hindi) with effect from 01.06.2023. The petitioner is due to retire from service on 21.07.2026. Challenging the impugned order of the 3rd respondent dated 03.04.2025, the present writ petition has been filed. 3.The learned counsel for the petitioner would submit that the SSLC and Higher Secondary qualifications were sufficient for appointment as B.T.
Assistant, which was the requirement for the initial post of Secondary Grade Teacher. On the basis of these qualifications, and upon due satisfaction at the relevant point of time, the petitioner was appointed as Junior Grade B.T. Assistant in 2004. After nearly two decades, when the petitioner's promotion was forwarded for approval, the 3rd respondent, at a much later stage, passed the impugned order holding that her Higher Secondary qualification is not equivalent to that of the State of Tamil Nadu. Such a finding, it is contended, is unsustainable, particularly as the petitioner is due to retire on 21.07.2026.
equivalence of Higher Secondary qualification is unjustified. Accordingly, he prayed for appropriate orders.
4.Per contra, the learned Special Government Pleader appearing for the respondents, on instructions, would submit that the Higher Secondary course completed in Andhra Pradesh is treated as equivalent in Tamil Nadu only if the candidate secures a minimum of 35% marks in each subject. However, the petitioner had secured only 32.5% marks in English in the Higher Secondary examination. Therefore, the certificate obtained by the petitioner from Andhra Pradesh cannot be considered equivalent to that of Tamil Nadu. It was further submitted that, inadvertently, the authorities had earlier approved her appointment as Junior Grade B.T. Assistant without proper verification, and this discrepancy was noticed only recently, leading to the rejection order. Accordingly, she prayed for dismissal of the writ petition. 5.Heard the learned counsel on either side and perused the materials available on record.
6.The facts of the present case are not in dispute. Admittedly, the petitioner completed SSLC in 1981 and XII Standard in 1983 under the Board
of Intermediate, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh. She subsequently obtained B.Sc. (Chemistry) in 1986 and B.Ed. in 1994, and thereafter secured appointment in the 4th respondent Aided School as Junior Grade B.T. Assistant (Science) on 05.01.2004. It is equally undisputed that immediately after her appointment, the certificates were verified by the Educational Authorities at the relevant point of time and approval was granted on 12.01.2004. After a lapse of two decades, when the petitioner was promoted as P.G. Assistant and her promotion was forwarded for approval, the 3rd respondent rejected her candidature solely on the ground that her Higher Secondary qualification was not equivalent to that of the State of Tamil Nadu. Such rejection is unsustainable, since the qualification required for the promotional post is M.A. (Hindi) along with a U.G.
degree in Hindi, and not Higher Secondary. Hence, the rejection order passed by the 3rd respondent at such a belated stage cannot be sustained. 7.Accordingly, the impugned order of the 3rd respondent dated 03.04.2025 is hereby set aside. The respondents 1 to 3 are directed to approve the promotion of the petitioner as P.G. Assistant (Hindi) with effect from 01.06.2023, together with all consequential monetary benefits, within a period of four weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order, so as to enable the petitioner to retire peacefully on 21.07.2026.
8.With the above directions, this writ petition stands allowed. No costs. Consequently, connected miscellaneous petitions are closed. 25-02-2026 Index: Yes/No Speaking/Non-speaking order Uma
To
1. The Joint Director DPI office Chennai-600 006
2. The Chief Educational officer Egmore Chennai-600 008
3. The District Educational officer Central chennai Saidapet Chennai-600 015
4. The Secretary Kesari Higher secondary School Chennai-600 004
M.DHANDAPANI, J.
Uma WP No. 3972 of 2026 and WMP Nos.4429 and 4431 of 2026 25-02-2026