P.Kannan v. State Of Tamil Nadu
BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT DATED : 24.04.2025
CORAM:
THE HONOURABLE MRS.JUSTICE J.NISHA BANU and THE HONOURABLE MRS.JUSTICE S.SRIMATHY and W.M.P(MD)Nos.8696 & 8698 of 2025 P.Kannan ... Petitioner vs.
1.State of Tamil Nadu, Represented by its the Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Prohibition and Excise Department, Government of Tamil Nadu, Secretariat, Chennai - 9.
2.The Chairman/Additional Director General of Police, Tamil Nadu Uniformed Services Requirement Board, Old Commissioner of Police Office Campus, Pantheon Road, Egmore, Chennai - 8.
3.The Member Secretary/ Inspector General of Police, Tamil Nadu Uniformed Services Requirement Board, Old Commissioner of Police Office Campus, Pantheon Road, Egmore, Chennai - 8.
... Respondents 1/6
PRAYER : Writ Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India praying for issuance of a Writ of Certiorarified Mandamus, calling for the records of the impugned notification issued by the third respondent vide Notification No. 01/2025 dated 04.04.2025 and quash the same as illegal and arbitrary and consequently direct the third respondent to issue fresh notification. For Petitioner : Mr.V.Angusamy For Respondents : Mr.Veera Kathiravan Additional Advocate General Assisted by Mr.P.Thilak Kumar Government Pleader
ORDER
(Order of the Court was made by J. NISHA BANU, J.) The petitioner has filed the present Writ Petition challenging the impugned Notification No.01/2025 dated 04.04.2025 issued by the third respondent, seeking to quash the same on the ground that Clause 5 of the said Notification is arbitrary, discriminatory, and violative of Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution of India.
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2.According to the petitioner, the eligibility criteria prescribed under Clause 5 of the impugned notification, particularly the requirement that candidates must not have passed the 12th standard directly without studying the 11th standard, is unreasonable and discriminates against candidates who have pursued education through open schooling, private tutorials, or self-learning systems, which are recognized by the State Government. It is further submitted that such a condition fails to consider candidates who completed their 12th standard prior to the academic year 2017, before the implementation of G.O.Ms. No.100 dated 22.05.2017, which made both 11th and 12th standards public examinations.
3.Further, according to the petitioner, applying the said condition uniformly to all candidates, including those under categories such as destitute widows, ex-servicemen, and departmental quota applicants, who are permitted to apply up to the age of 47 years, would result in grave discrimination, particularly since many such candidates would have completed their education before 2017. Further, the impugned clause indirectly favours candidates with the means to 3/6
pursue regular schooling, thus defeating the very objective of inclusive public employment.
4.Heard the learned counsel appearing on either side and perused the materials placed on record.
5.Admittedly, the State and its recruiting agencies are empowered to prescribe eligibility conditions for public employment. It is well settled that the Court cannot interfere with policy matters or eligibility criteria unless they are clearly unreasonable or unconstitutional and therefore, we find no merits in the Writ Petition and the same is dismissed. There shall be no order as to costs. Consequently, connected Miscellaneous Petitions are closed. [J.N.B.,J.] & [S.S.Y.,J.] 24.04.2025 NCC : Yes / No Index : Yes / No ps 4/6
To 1.The Additional Chief Secretary, Represented by the State of Tamil Nadu, Home, Prohibition and Excise Department, Government of Tamil Nadu, Secretariat, Chennai - 9.
2.The Chairman/Additional Director General of Police, Tamil Nadu Uniformed Services Requirement Board, Old Commissioner of Police Office Campus, Pantheon Road, Egmore, Chennai - 8.
3.The Member Secretary/ Inspector General of Police, Tamil Nadu Uniformed Services Requirement Board, Old Commissioner of Police Office Campus, Pantheon Road, Egmore, Chennai - 8.
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J.NISHA BANU , J.
and S.SRIMATHY, J.
ps ORDER MADE IN DATED : 24.04.2025 6/6