The Honourable Chief Justice:

These writ petitions raise a short but an important question as to the constitutional validity of the Tamil Nadu Regulation of Admission in Professional Courses Act 2006 (Tamil Nadu Act 2 of 2006), hereinafter for brevity’s sake called the "Act". Since common questions of law and fact are involved, we have heard all the cases together and disposing them of by this judgment.

2. In W.P.No.3951 of 2006, Minor Nishanth Ramesh vs. State of Tamil Nadu (which we are treating as the lead case), the petitioner is a Plus two student of Vidya Mandhir School, affiliated to Central Board of Secondary Education (C.B.S.E.), Chennai. The Tamil Nadu State Board, I.S.C. and C.B.S.C. are the three Boards which offer Plus two course in the State of Tamil Nadu.

3. It has been alleged that ever since 1984, the admission to the professional colleges in the State of Tamil Nadu was governed by G.O.Ms.No.657, dated 29.5.1984. The said Government Order prescribed admission to the professional college on the basis of qualifying examination (Plus two) and Common Entrance Test on the basis of the State Board Syllabus for all the Board students. The inter se merit for adm