BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT DATED : 07.01.2026 CORAM:

THE HONOURABLE DR.JUSTICE G.JAYACHANDRAN and THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE K.K.RAMAKRISHNAN W.A.(MD)No.2706 of 2025 and C.M.P.(MD)No.15325 of 2025

1.The Director of Collegiate Education, College Road, Chennai – 600 006.

2.The Joint Director of Collegiate Education, Tirunelveli Region, Tirunelveli – 627 002. ... Appellants -vs-

1.Dr.A.Felcy Navajothy, Assistant Professor, Department of Physics, Sarah Tucker College (Autonomous), Tirunelveli – 627 007.

Tirunelveli District.

2.The Correspondent cum Secretary, Sarah Tucker College, Tirunelveli – 627 007. ... Respondents PRAYER: Writ Appeal filed under Clause XV of the Letters Patent Act, praying to praying to set aside the order dated 21.03.2025 in W.P.(MD)No.

1399 of 2025 on the file of this Court.

For Appellants : Mr.J.Ashok, Additional Government Pleader For Respondent No.1 : Mr.T.Cibi Chakraborthy

JUDGMENT

[Judgment of the Court was made by DR.G.JAYACHANDRAN, J.] Dr.A.Felcy Navajothy, appointed as Assistant Professor in the department of Physics at Sarah Tucker College, Palayamkottai, Tirunelveli, filed a Writ Petition in W.P.(MD)No.1399 of 2025, challenging the order passed by the Director of collegiate education in proceedings Na.Ka.No. 44402/F4/2023-1 dated 10.10.2024, wherein her appointment as Assistant Professor in the Sarah Tucker College not ratified, in view of the fact that the selection committee did not consist of a subject expert as per the UGC guidelines and the details of participants in the interview not furnished.

2.Contending that these details are not required insofar as the Sarah Tucker College, which is a minority institution, Writ Petition was filed and the same was allowed by this Court vide order dated 21.03.2025. Being aggrieved, the Director of Collegiate Education has preferred the intra-

court appeal.

3.When the matter was taken up for consideration, learned Additional Government Pleader furnished G.O.(Ms).No.274 dated 18.12.2025, issued by the Higher Education (H1) Department, wherein the Government has taken a policy decision to exempt minority institutions from the UGC regulation, 2018, insofar as the constitution of selection committee. In other words, the requirement of a subject expert member in the selection panel as contemplated under the UGC regulation, 2018 will not apply for the appointments made in the minority institutions. Thus, dehors the reasoning given by the learned Single Judge to quash the communication of the Director of Collegiate Education, in addition, the G.O. (Ms).No.274 dated 18.12.2025 cited above also has now made clear that for a minority institution, the appointment of the writ petitioner cannot be impugned for the reasons cited in the impugned order of the appellant.

Hence, the order of the learned Single Judge has to be upheld.

4.Accordingly, the order of the learned Single Judge is upheld and Writ Appeal stands dismissed. The appointment of the first respondent / writ petitioner to be approved and consequential benefits to be disbursed within a period of twelve [12] weeks from today. There shall be no order as to costs. Consequently, the connected miscellaneous petition is closed.

[G.J., J.] & [K.K.R.K., J.]

07.01.2026 NCC : Yes / No Index : Yes / No Internet: Yes / No MR To

1.The Director of Collegiate Education, College Road, Chennai – 600 006.

2.The Joint Director of Collegiate Education, Tirunelveli Region, Tirunelveli – 627 002.

DR.G.JAYACHANDRAN, J.

AND K.K.RAMAKRISHNAN, J.

MR W.A.(MD)No.2706 of 2025

07.01.2026