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2026 Supreme(Online)(Mad) 39822
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
P.T. Asha, J
R. Arunpandian – Appellant
Versus
Tamilnadu Public Service Commission – Respondent
W.P.No. 25732 of 2025|W.M.P.Nos. 28922, 28924 & 28925 of 2025
For the Appellants/Petitioners: N. Kavitha Rameshwar
For the Respondents: R. Bharanidharan, M.R. Gokul Krishnan
A candidate's eligibility should be determined by the actual nature of duties and certified experience rather than a technical disagreement over a designation (e.g., Temporary Teaching Fellow vs. Assistant Librarian), provided the certified experience meets the notification's requirements.
Headnote:The petitioner challenged the proceedings of the respondent dated 27.06.2025, which classified him as ineligible for the posts of College Librarian (Law) and College Librarian (Higher Education) under Notification No.12/2024. Despite possessing the requisite academic qualifications, including a Ph.D. and passing the UGC-NET, the respondent rejected the petitioner's candidature on the grounds that his experience as a Temporary Teaching Fellow was not equivalent to the prescribed experience and was not in the correct format. The main issue was whether the petitioner's experience as a Temporary Teaching Fellow should be considered valid experience as an Assistant Librarian for the purpose of eligibility. The court observed that the experience certificate produced by the petitioner, certified by the Registrar, explicitly stated that the petitioner possessed experience as an Assistant Librarian for 11 years, 9 months, and 17 days in a library using automation software, thereby satisfying the eligibility criteria specified in the notification. In view of the above, this writ petition is allowed. The respondents are directed to consider the petitioner eligible for the post within a period of 1 month from the date of receipt of a copy of this order.
| Table of Content |
|---|
| 1. procedural history of the application for the post of college librarian and subsequent classification as ineligible. (Para 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8) |
| 2. respondent's contention that the designation of teaching fellow is not equivalent to the required experience. (Para 9 , 17) |
| 3. verification of the petitioner's marks and interview grading against the category cut-off. (Para 10 , 11 , 12 , 13) |
| 4. determination that the certified experience as assistant librarian satisfies the job's eligibility criteria. (Para 14 , 15 , 16 , 18 , 19) |
| 5. granting of relief and direction to consider the petitioner eligible. (Para 20) |
(R2 and R3 are suo motu impleaded by orders of this Court today i.e., 25.03.2026)
Prayer: Writ Petition is filed under Section 226 of the Constitution of India for issue of Writ of Certiorarified Mandamus, to call for the records of the respondent in his proceedings – "Combined Technical Service Examination (Interview Posts] - II List - Physical Certificate Verification and Interview (List-3) (Phase-I) dated 27.06.2025 and to quash the same as being unsustainable in law insofar as it mentions in the Annexure that the petitioner has not been considered for not satisfying the eligibility conditions No.12/2024 dated 30.08.2024 and for a consequential direction to the respondent to consider the petitioner for the post of College Librarian (Law) and College Librarian [Higher Education] and appoint him accordingly.
For Petitioner : Mrs. N.Kavitha Rameshwar
For Respondent 1: Mr. R.Bharanidharan
Standing Counsel
For Respondent 3: Mr. M.R.Gokul Krishnan
Additional Government Pleader
O R D E R
This writ petition is filed for the following relief:
“To call for the records of the respondent in his proceedings – "Combined Technical Service Examination (Interview Posts] - II List - Physical Certificate Verification and Interview (List-3) (Phase-I) dated 27.06.2025 and to quash the same as being unsustainable in law insofar as it mentions in the Annexure that the petitioner has not been considered for not satisfying the eligibility conditions No.12/2024 dated 30.08.2024 and for a consequential direction to the respondent to consider the petitioner for the post of College Librarian (Law) and College Librarian [Higher Education] and appoint him accordingly”
2. Dr.Ambedkar Law University, represented by its Registrar, Greenways Road, Chennai – 600 028 and the Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Secretariat, Fort. St. George, Chennai are impleaded as R2 and R3, as they are necessary parties to this writ petition.
3. The brief facts are as follows.
4. The petitioner completed B.Com, in the year 2010. Thereafter, completed Master of Library and Information Science (M.LIS) in Library and Information Science in the year 2012. He had also acquired State Eligibility Test (SET) in the year 2012. Thereafter, he had passed National Eligibility Test – UGC – NET in the subject – Library and Information Science in the year 2018, followed by acquiring Ph.D. in the year 2020.
5. The petitioner as on date is working as a Teaching Fellow in Library at University College of Engineering, BIT Campus, Anna University, Trichy. While so, the respondent had published the notification dated 30.08.2024 to the posts included in Combined Technical Services Examination (Interview Posts) II. Pursuant to the above notification, the petitioner submitted his application for the post of College Librarian (Law) and College Librarian [Higher Education] Code 3003 and 3004 by application dated 07.09.2024.
6. The petitioner had participated in the written examination held on 18.11.2024. Thereafter, the respondent had published the list for onscreen certificate verification on 28.04.2025, wherein, the petitioner’s name was found for the post of College Librarian (Law) and College Librarian (Higher Education). Thereafter, the respondent published the list of candidates who have been admitted provisionally to the onscreen certificate verification for the s
