IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS

DATED : 20.11.2025

CORAM:

THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE G.K.ILANTHIRAIYAN

and W.M.P.Nos.31785 and 31793 of 2024

S.Ravichandran ... Petitioner

-Vs-

1. The Chairman,

Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission,

TNPSC Road, Broadway,

Chennai-600 003.

2. The Secretary,

Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission,

TNPSC Road, Broadway,

Chennai-600 003.

3. The Controller of Examinations,

Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission,

TNPSC Road, Broadway,

Chennai- 600 003.

4. The Secretary To The Government of Tamil Nadu,

Higher Education Department,

Fort St.George,

Chennai-600 009.

5. The Secretary,

Human Resource and Management Department,

Secretariat,

Chennai-600 009.

6. The Deputy Secretary, Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission, TNPSC Road, Broadway, Chennai-600 003.

7. Suresh ... Respondents Prayer : Writ Petition filed under Article 226 of Constitution of India praying for the issuance of a Writ of Certiorarified Mandamus, to call for the records passed in G.O.No.03/2023 dated 11.09.2024 published by 2^nd Respondent and quash the same and direct the 1^st and 2^nd respondents to recruit the petitioner for the Post of Tourist officer.

For Petitioner : Mr.K.Venkataramani for Mr.M.Maharaja For R1 to R3 and R6 : Mr.I.Abrar Md.Abdullah Standing Counsel For R4 : Mr.M.R.Gokulkrishnan Additional Government Pleader For R5 : Mr.Yogesh Kannadasan Special Government Pleader For R7 : Mr.M.R.Jyothimanian

ORDER

This writ petition has been filed challenging the selection list published by the second respondent dated 11.09.2024.

2. Heard the learned counsel on either side and perused the materials available on record.

3. The petitioner had applied for the post of Tourist Officer in Tamil Nadu General Service and appeared for the examination. There were three vacancies for the said post. However, the petitioner was not selected. Apparently, 12 candidates were called for certificate verification in ratio 1:4. The petitioner was also selected for the certificate verification. Subsequently, as per communication dated 22.03.2024, the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission directed the candidates to upload a No Objection Certificate in the prescribed format and the equivalence Government Order for a Master of Tourism and Travel Management. The petitioner had obtained a Post Graduate degree in Master of Tourism and Travel Management in Annamalai University. As per G.O.(Ms).No.130 dated 24.07.2024, a resolution was passed by the 26^th Equivalence Committee, under the Chairmanship of the Additional Chief Secretary to Government, Higher Education Department and an equivalence certificate was issued. The certificate obtained by the petitioner is equivalent to the qualification prescribed under the notification for the post of Tourist Officer.

4. Accordingly, the petitioner's certificate was verified and the petitioner was called for an interview. However, the petitioner was not selected and the 7^th respondent was selected for the said post. The 7^th respondent had secured 72 marks in the oral test, while other candidates secured only 54 marks. Further, the petitioner alleged that the 7^th respondent had applied for the said post under the Educational qualification category of a PG degree with a diploma in Tourism. However, the 7^th respondent persuaded a PG degree along with a PG Diploma in Tourism Management. There is a variation between Diploma and PG Diploma courses in terms of tenure, syllabus etc. Further, as directed by the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission, the 7^th respondent had uploaded his equivalence Government Order for a PG Diploma in Tourism Management as equivalent to a PG Diploma in Tourism and No Objection Certificate. Thereafter, the 7^th respondent was directed to upload the semester mark sheet for one of the subjects in Diploma/PG Diploma.

5. The petitioner obtained information under the Right to Information Act that no equivalence Government Order had been passed earlier for PG Diploma in Tourism Management awarded by Madurai Kamaraj University as equivalent