BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT

Date of Reserving the Order Date of Pronouncing the Order

10.11.2025 09.01.2026

CORAM:

THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE K.KUMARESH BABU

W.P.(MD) No.28303 of 2025 &

W.M.P.(MD).Nos.22004 & 22005 of 2025

The Secretary,

St., Ignatius College of Education (Autonomous)

Palayakottai, Tirunelveli – 627 002. ... Petitioner

-vs-

1.The State of Tamil Nadu,

Rep., by its Secretary,

Department of Higher Education,

Fort St., George, Chennai – 600 009.

2.The Director of Collegiate Education,

College Road, Chennai – 600 006.

3.The Joint Director of Collegiate Education,

Tirunelveli Region,

Tirunelveli – 627 008. ... Respondents

PRAYER: Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, to issue a writ of Certiorarified Mandamus to call for the records relating to the impugned proceedings of the third respondent Joint Director of Collegiate

Education in Na.Ka.No.12957/U3/2023 dated 03.09.2025 (received on 17.09.2025) quash the same and further direct the third respondent Joint Director to approve forthwith the promotion of Dr.Sr.L.Vasanthi Medona as Principal in the petitioner college w.e.f., 03.02.2022 with all attendant benefits arrears of salary and allowances.

For Petitioner : Mr.Issac Mohanlal Sr., counsel for M/s.Issac Chambers For Respondents : Mr.N.Satheesh Kumar A.G.P.,

O R D E R

This Writ Petition had been filed to quash the impugned proceedings of the third respondent Joint Director of Collegiate Education, dated 03.09.2025 (received on 17.09.2025) and to direct the third respondent Joint Director to approve forthwith the promotion of Dr.Sr.L.Vasanthi Medona as Principal in the petitioner college w.e.f., 03.02.2022 with all attendant benefits, arrears of salary and allowances.

2. Heard Mr.Issac Mohanlal, the learned Senior counsel appearing for the petitioner and Mr.N.Satheesh Kumar, learned Additional Government Pleader appearing for the respondents.

3. The learned Senior counsel appearing for the petitioner would submit that the petitioner is a minority institution and now stands affiliated to the Tamil Nadu Teachers Education University. Due to the superannuation of an incumbent, the post of Principal in the college fell vacant on 31.05.2017 and it had appointed one Dr.Sr.L.Vasanthi Medona as Principal by promotion as decided by the Governing Board in its meeting held on 02.02.2022 and the said person had also assumed charge as Principal on 03.02.2022. A proposal was also submitted to the respondents along with the relevant documents.

4. He would also submit that by proceedings dated 27.08.2022, the affiliating University had also granted qualification approval for the appointment of the incumbent as the Principal of the college. He would submit that the third respondent had forwarded the proposal of the petitioner by its proceedings dated 30.11.2022 to the second respondent, which would indicate that the qualifications that are required for the post of Principal has not been fulfilled by the appointee and further indicating that the appointee had not been moved from Grade 11 to 12 in the post of Assistant Professor, which would dis-entitle the appointee to hold the post. By proceedings dated 23.11.2023, the third respondent refixed the pay of the appointee under the Career Advancement Scheme and thereafter, a fresh proposal was forwarded.

5. By communication dated 05.02.2025, issued by the second respondent to the third respondent wherein certain defects in the proposal were pointed out for the appointment of the Principal made by the petitioner upon which the third respondent by his communication dated 25.02.2025 called upon the petitioner to rectify the defects pointed out by the second respondent in his communication dated 05.02.2025, and resubmit the proposal. The same was challenged by the petitioner in W.P.(MD).No.17478 of 2025, wherein recording a statement made by the learned counsel appearing for the Government that if the petitioner submits a fresh representation outlining all the grievances to