P.Preetha v. Union Of India

W.P.No.41406 of 2025

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS

DATED: 06-11-2025

CORAM

THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE N.SATHISH KUMAR AND THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE M.JOTHIRAMAN W.P.No.41406 of 2025 and W.M.P.No.47819 & 47821 of 2025 P.Preetha D/o Punniyamoorthy ..Petitioner Vs

1. Union of India represented through the Represented by the Chief Secretary to Government, Chief Secretariat Building, Puducherry - 605 001.

2. The Secretary to Government/Education, Government of Pudhcerry, Education Department, Chief Secretariat Building, Puducherry - 605 001.

3. The Director of School Education, Perunthalaivar Kamaraj Centenary Education Complex, 100 Feet Road, Anna Nagar, Nellithope Post, Puducherry - 605 005.

4. The Government of India represented through its Deputy Secretary to Government of India,

Department of Personal & Administrative Reforms, New Delhi - 110 069.

5. The Under Secretary to Government, Department of Personal & Administrative Reforms, Goubert Avenue, Chief Secretariat, Puducherry -1.

6. The Secretary to Government of India, Department of Personnel Training, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, North Block,Cabinet Secretariat, New Delhi-110 001 ..Respondents Writ petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India to issue a Writ of Certiorarfied Mandamus to call for the records on the file of the Central Administrative Tribunal, Chennai, in order dated 15.10.2025 passed in O.A.No.1322/2025 insofar as the interim relief sought by the petitioner was not granted and consequently, direct the 3rd respondent to accept the petitioner's application through offline mode and allow her to participate in the selection process, pursuant to Notification No.A1818/DSE/Estt-IV(C)/2025 dated 12.09.2025 for the post of Primary School Teacher, pending disposal of the writ petition. For Petitioner : Mr.Parthiban Padmanabane For Respondent : Mr.R.Syed Mustafa, Spl.Govt.Pleader(Pondy) for R1,R2, R3 & R5 Mr.R.Subramanian, ACGSC for R4 and R6

O R D E R

(The Order of the Court was made by N.Sathish Kumar) Challenge has been made to the order passed by the Central Administrative Tribunal for not granting interim order, allowing the petitioner to participate in the selection process, pursuant to the notification dated 12.09.2025.

2. The petitioner has challenged the notification before the Tribunal on the ground that while indicating the age relaxation to the widow and divorced women, though it is stated as 35 years, it is not separately indicated for Widow/Divorced Women/Women judicially separated, but only for the SC/ST category, the age relaxation is indicated as 40 years. The said details was not clear about the relaxation to OBC-Divorced women and other similar social category women. The petitioner has also sought for a direction to the respondents to accept her offline application to the post of Primary School Teacher, pursuant to the notification. The Tribunal has not granted any interim order. Challenging the same, the present writ petition has been filed.

3. Learned counsel for the petitioner would state that in the

notification of the Central Government, it is not indicated properly about the age relaxation to OBC-Divorced Women and other similar social category women, whereas for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe category, the age relaxation is shown upto 40 years. Hence, he would pray that a direction may be issued to the respondents to accept the petitioner's offline application to the post of Primary School Teacher, pursuant to the notification.

4. Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner, the learned Special Government Pleader (Pondy) appearing for the respondents and perused the materials available in record.

5. It is clearly indicated in the notification that the age relaxation for Widows/Divorced Women/ Women judicially separated from their husbands and who are not re-married is upto 35 years. The age relaxation for SC & SC candidates is upto 40 years. Admittedly, the petitioner has crossed that age as she was aged about 36 years on the date of publication of notification. In such view of the matter, we do not find any merit in this writ petition. Therefore, the Writ Petition fails and the same stands

dismissed. No costs. Consequently, connected miscellaneous petitions are closed.

(N.S.K.,J.) (M.J.R.,J.) vsi 06.11.2025 To

1. The Chief Secretary to Government, Chief Secretariat Building, Puducherry - 605 001.

2. The Secretary to Government/Education, Government of Puduhcerry, Education Department, Chief Secretariat Building, Puducherry - 605 001.

3. The Director of School Education, Perunthalaivar Kamaraj Centenary Education Complex, 100 Feet Road, Anna Nagar, Nellithope Post, Puducherry - 605 005.

4. Deputy Secretary to Government of India, Department of Personal & Administrative Reforms, New Delhi - 110 069.

5. The Under Secretary to Government, Department of Personal & Administrative Reforms, Goubert Avenue, Chief Secretariat, Puducherry -1.

6. The Secretary to Government of India, Department of Personnel Training, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, North Block,Cabinet Secretariat, New Delhi-110 001

N.SATHISH KUMAR, J.

and M.JOTHIRAMAN, J.

vsi W.P.No.41406 of 2025 06.11.2025