IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS DATED : 13.02.2025 CORAM THE HONOURABLE MRS.JUSTICE N.MALA W.P.No.39698 of 2024 and W.M.P.Nos.42993 & 42994 of 2024 S.Anitha D/o.Selvaraj ...Petitioner Vs.

1. Government of Tamilnadu, Rep. By Principal Secretary, to Government Higher Education Department Secretariat Chennai-600 009

2. The Director of Technical Education, Chennai-600 025

3. The Additional Director (Examination)

Directorate of Technical Education, Chennai-600 025

4. The Chairman Board of Examination, Department of Technical Education, Chennai-600 025.

5. S.Praveen Kumar S/o Subramanian, Proprietor, Jaya Type Writing Institute, No.30/E9, E10, 1^st Floor, Raj complex, Near Palakattu Mariamman Koil, Thuraiyur, Trichy District.

(R5 is impleaded as per order in W.M.P.No.3259 of 2025 in W.P.No.39698 of 2024 dated 13.02.2025 by NMJ)

..Respondents Prayer: Writ Petition is filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, to issue a Writ of Certiorarified Mandamus directing to call for the records relating to the Notification dated 15.12.2024 issued by the 2^nd respondent, quash the same and consequential directions to the 2^nd respondents to issues fresh Notification after calling for objection from the Stake-holders (Typewriting Institutes) and then revise the eligibility qualification.

For Petitioner : Mr.J.Muthukumaran For Respondents : Mr.C.Jayaprakash, Government Advocate for R1 to R4 Mr.J.Muthukumaran for R5

ORDER

Aggrieved by the minimum Educational Qualification stipulated for appearing in Shorthand English Senior Grade exams, the petitioner has filed the present writ petition.

2. The petitioner possesses Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC). Earlier for Typewriting English and Tamil examinations, the minimum Qualification required was pass in SSLC. According to the petitioner all of a sudden, without any advertisement, the 1^st respondent revised the minimum qualification making a pass in intermediate grade of shorthand (English) examination mandatory / compulsory for appearing in short hand (English), Senior Grade examination. The practice during the past 60 years was that a candidate who passed SSLC could directly appear for short hand (English) Senior Grade examinations. The petitioner therefore, submitted a representation on

12.12.2024 to the respondents to restore the past practise in respect of eligible qualifications and appearance for Typewriting English and Tamil and Short hand English and Tamil for Junior, Intermediate and Senior Grade examination. As the respondents even without considering the petitioner's representation, revised the minimum eligibility criteria for typewriting (English and Tamil) and Short hand (English and Tamil) by the impugned notification, the petitioner was constrained to file the above writ petition for the aforesaid relief.

3.The respondent filed a detailed counter statement stating that the impugned notification dated 15.12.2024, was published on the basis of syllabus published in the Department's Website after various stages of review by 4 IAS Officers, Chairman Board of Examinations, 28 Field and Subject experts, 11 Examination Officials, through the powers vested by the Chairman, Board of Examinations, under G.O.Ms.No.463, Education Department, dated 25.03.1988, to revise the Rules and Regulations for the curriculum and syllabus of various courses conducted by Directorate of Technical Education (DoTE).

4.According to the respondents, the draft syllabus with new rules and regulations and minimum qualifications were published by the Chairman, Board of Examination as early as on 1.09.2023. Thereafter, the 4^th respondent, the Chairman Board of Examination, gave two chances for the candidates to appear for the Government Technical Examinations (GTE) as per old syllabus and rules and regulations. Further, the 4^th respondent even after notifying the new revised syllabus and minimum qualifications on 01.09.2023, continued to conduct two examinations with the pre-revised minimum qualification and