Failure to pay examination fees does not bar candidates from participation when circumstances warrant consideration for extension.

ORDER

This petition has been filed seeking a direction to the respondents to consider the petitioner’s representations dated 5.02.2026 and 13.02.2026 to permit the petitioner to write the main examination to be held on 15.03.2026 conducted by the respondents, upon payment of the necessary application fees.

2.The learned counsel for the petitioner submitted that, after completing her Higher Secondary education and her undergraduate course in B.S.c Mathematics with First Class as well as D.T.Ed, she prepared for the Group examinations. On 15.07.2025, the respondents published the Combine Civil Service Examination-II (Group II & IIA Services) notification vide Notification No.11/2025. Based on the said notification, she applied for the examination through online vide Application No.1250216112 by uploading the mandatory documents and paying the necessary application fee of Rs.100/- for the Preliminary Examination only. The petitioner appeared for the Preliminary Examination conducted on 28.09.2025, in which she was declared successful.

Thereafter, the respondent fixed the last date for payment of the fee for the main examination from 23.12.2012 to 29.12.2025. However, for various reasons, the period for submission of applications was extended from 30.12.2025 to 02.01.2026 and the date of the main examination was fixed as 08.02.2026, which was later extended to 15.03.2026. However, the time for payment of fee was not extended subsequently. As a result, the petitioner and 274 other similarly placed candidates were deprived of the opportunity to participate in the main examination due to the non-extension of the fee payment deadline. Though the respondent rescheduled the main examination from 08.02.2026 to 15.03.2026, the time for payment of fees was not extended. As a result, the petitioner and 274 other similarly placed candidates were deprived of the opportunity to participate in the main examination. Therefore, considering the matter sympathetically, this Court may be pleased to permit the petitioner and other similarly placed candidates to pay the Main Examination fee by fixing an outer time limit. Accordingly, he prayed for appropriate orders.

3.Per contra, the learned Standing Counsel appearing for the respondents vehemently contended that the responsibility for payment of the fee for the Main examination rests solely with the candidates. The candidates will be held responsible as per the para 2-T.1(ii) and 4 of the instructions to Applicants. The Main Examination fee shall be paid by the candidates who have not claimed exemption, if they are shortlisted for the Main Examination based on the results of Preliminary Examination and on receipt of such intimation from Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission. . Failure to pay the prescribed Examination fee along with the online application would result in rejection of the application after due process, in terms of para.2.T.4 and the Main examination fee of Rs.150/- (Rupees One Hundred and Fifty only) has to be paid by the candidates who have not claimed fee exemption. The learned counsel further submitted that, though initially 766 candidates, including the petitioner, had not paid the fee on time, again they were granted further time from 30.12.2025 to 02.01.2026 to pay the Main Written Examination fee. Out of the 766 candidates, 492 candidates availed themselves of the opportunity by paying the fee. However, 274 candidates, including the petitioner, failed to pay the fee. Even though a second opportunity was granted, the petitioner and the other candidates did not avail themselves of the same, and such failure cannot be attributed as a fault on the part of the respondents. Further, it was submitted that the Main Examination was scheduled to be he