V.Ponmalar v. The Registrar
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
DATED: 19.11.2025
CORAM:
THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE G.K.ILANTHIRAIYAN W.P.No.43374 of 2025 and WMP.Nos.48548 & 48550 of 2025 V.Ponmalar ... Petitioner Vs.
THE REGISTRAR, ANNA UNIVERSITY, NO.12, SARDAR PATEL ROAD, GUINDY, CHENNAI-600 025.
... Respondent Prayer : Writ Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India for issuance of a Writ of Certiorarified Mandamus, calling for the records on the file of the respondent in proceedings Memo No.62221/ PR11/ 2024 and dated 13.08.2025 and quash the same as arbitrary, illegal, unjust and consequently direct the respondent to promote the petitioner to the post of Associate Professor and Professors with effect from 26.11.2012 and 26.11.2016 respectively For Petitioner : Mr.AR.M.Arunachalam
O R D E R
This writ petition has been filed challenging the order passed by the respondent dated 13.08.2025 thereby rejecting the request made by the petitioner seeking promotion to the post of Associate Professor with 1/6
effect from 26.07.2012 and 26.11.2016.
2.
The petitioner was selected and appointed as Lecturer in the Department of Civil Engineering of the respondent herein. Thereafter the petitioner completed Ph.D. programme - Half Teaching Research Assistantship full time PhD to Part time Ph.D from Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai. The petitioner had provisionally registered for Ph.D course as required by the respondent and as per the regulation, the petitioner changed the category from full time to part time. The minimum period of two years of full time is sufficient to claim benefits. Accordingly, the petitioner utilised the first two years on full time basis between 01.01.2003 to 31.12.2004 and the remaining part time basis between 01.01.2005 to 18.03.2010. While being so, on 14.01.
2011, the respondent invited applications for recruitment to the post of Associate Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering. The petitioner applied for the same and she was not selected for the said post. Further interviews were conducted in the year 2014 in which the petitioner was selected for the post of Associate Professor. Thereafter, the petitioner was promoted to the post of Professor with effect from 26.11.2018.
Associate Professor with effect from 26.11.2012 and to the post of professor from 26.11.2016.
3.
On perusal of records, it is revealed that as per notification for recruitment to the post of Lecturer Trainee and Teaching / Research Associate in various departments of the respondent during the year 20002001, such of those trainees / Associates who complete their Ph.D. programmes successfully within four years of their training period will be considered for appointment against regular vacancies available in the post of Assistant Professor. The teaching experience gained by the trainee will be considered as equal to the experience gained by the regular Lecturer in Anna University for the purpose of promotion or career advancement scheme.
4.
Admittedly, the petitioner failed to fulfil the same and as such, the request made by the petitioner to consider Half Teaching and Research Assistantship (HTRA) at Indian Institute of Technology, Madras cannot be considered for promotion.
5.
Therefore, this Court finds no infirmity or illegality in the 3/6
impugned memo. Accordingly, this writ petition is dismissed. Consequently, connected miscellaneous petitions are closed. There shall be no order as to costs.
19.11.2025 Index: Yes/No Speaking/Non-speaking order lok 4/6
To THE REGISTRAR, ANNA UNIVERSITY, NO.12, SARDAR PATEL ROAD, GUINDY, CHENNAI-600 025 5/6
G.K.ILANTHIRAIYAN, J.
lok 19.11.2025 6/6