ORDER :

The petitioners are the candidates, who have applied to the post of Child Development Project Officer called for by the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission [in short 'TNPSC'] by its Notification No.24/2019, dated 13.08.2019. The TNPSC prescribed the educational qualification for the said post as ' a Degree in Nutrition (or) Home Science (or) a Degree with a PG Diploma in Rural Services awarded by the Gandhigram University.

2. The petitioners have completed BSc., (Food Nutrition and Dietetics) conducted by the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Madurai. However this qualification has not been considered as the prescribed qualification and their applications were rejected. Challenging the same, the petitioners have filed these writ petitions.

3. The learned Counsel for the petitioners by referring to the government order in G.O(Ms)No.79 Agriculture – Farmers Welfare (AU) Department, dated 15.03.2024 submits that the degree in BSc (Food Nutrition and Dietetics) awarded by the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Madurai has been declared as equivalent degree to BSc., Home Science – Nutrition/Nutrition and Dietetics/Food and Nutrition for the purpose of public employment. Therefo