Selection for the post of Village Panchayat Secretary must comply with prescribed rules and involve transparent processes to avoid unnecessary litigation.

ORDER :

1. The petitioners have applied for the post of Village Panchayat Secretary, pursuant to the notification issued by the District Administration. Some of the petitioners have scored more than 400 marks out of 500 in 10^th standard. The petitioners beliving that they have secured sufficient marks for the post of Village Panchayat Secretary, have approached this court challenging the intimation of their non-selection to the post by the department.

2. The learned counsel for the petitioners, by referring to Rule 3(2) of the Tamil Nadu Village Panchayat Secretaries (Conditions of Service) Rules, 2023 (hereinafter referred to as 'the Rules') submits that the Village Panchayat Secretaries shall be selected through open competitive recruitment process and also as ordered by the Government. There was no proper open competitive recruitment process adopted in selecting the candidates for the Village Panchayat Secretaries and therefore, the petitioners have not been shortlisted for the interview.

3. The learned Additional Advocate General appearing for the respondents submitted that the petitioners, under the impression that the open competitive recruitment process as mentioned in Rule 3(2) of the Rules amounts to written examination, have filed these writ petitions. The learned Additional Advocate General has clarified that the Government of Tamil Nadu has issued certain directions as to the manner in which the recruitment process has to be conducted, vide G.O.Ms.No.198, Rural Development Panchayati Raj (E5) Department, dated 04.09.2025. As per this Government Order, the Panchayat Secretaries will be selected based on the evaluation of the marks obtained in 10^th standard public examination and interview. This G.O. also prescirbes that 85% marks to be awarded based on the marks obtained in the 10^th standard public examination and 15% marks to be awarded for interview. The evaluation of the marks is also prescribed in clause VII of the said G.O.

4. With regard to the interview also, the learned Additional Advocate General clarified the manner in which the interview marks are awarded as per clause X of the said G.O. Therefore, according to the learned Additional Advocate General, the selection process has been conducted in a proper manner and there is no violation in the selection process. He further submits that the petitioners do not fall within the zone of consideration and therefore, they have not been selected.

5. This Court considered the rival submissions made.

6. The petitioners have applied for the post of Village Panchayat Secretaries, pursuant to the notification issued by the District Administration. The selection of Village Panchayat Secretary is made as per the Tamil Nadu Village Panchayat Secretaries (Conditions of Service) Rules, 2023. As per Rule 3 of the Rules, the Village Panchayat Secretaries shall be selected only by direct recruitment and through open competitive recruitment process. The recruitment shall be done by the District Level Committee chaired by the District Collector and consisting of Project Director/Additional Collector (Development), District Rural Development Agency, Assistant Director (Panchayats) and Personal Assistant to Collector (Development) as its members and the recruitment shall be done in the manner as may be ordered by the Government.

7. The Government vide G.O.Ms.No.198, Rural Development Panchayat Raj Department dated 04.09.2025 have issued guidelines for appointment of Village Panchayat Secretaries, as per the Tamil Nadu Village Panchayat Secretaries (Conditions of Service) Rules, 2023. As per the guidelines issued in the said G.O., the marks obtained in the