Madras High Court sets aside TNUSRB’s selection list for 615 Sub Inspectors due to reservation irregularities. File
| Photo Credit: K. Pichumani
After coming across grave irregularities in the appointment of 615 Sub Inspectors of Police in the State, the Madras High Court has set aside the selection list prepared by the Tamil Nadu Uniformed Services Recruitment Board (TNUSRB) on October 8, 2024 and ordered redrawing of the list under the supervision of former Chief Justice N. Paul Vasanthakumar.
Justice C. V. Karthikeyan held that the selection list prepared by the TNUSRB had defeated the very purpose of communal reservation by restricting even meritorious candidates under their communal categories, without considering them under the open category so that other candidates belonging to those communities could gain advantage of the reservation.
The judge pointed out that six candidates considered under the Scheduled Caste category had secured 83, 83, 82.50, 81.50, 81.25 and 81.25 marks, respectively, which were higher than the marks obtained by the last six candidates under the open category. If these six candidates had been considered under the open category, six more Scheduled Caste candidates could have been accommodated on the list, he said.
Holding that the TNUSRB had “violated the spirit behind the principles of reservation,” the judge said, similar discrepancies could be seen with respect to consideration of meritorious candidates under the Backward Class (Muslim) category and also within the 30% reservation provided to women instead of considering the meritorious women candidates under the open category.
“It would be poor argument if the respondents (TNUSRB) were to contend that 30% reservation for women would conversely mean that the entire remainder of 70% is exclusively reserved for male candidates. Meritorious women candidates should also be fitted in the General Turn and the General Turn cannot be restrained only to male candidates,” Justice Karthikeyan said.
He pointed out that such a discrepancy in the drawing of the selection list was against the Supreme Court’s 2021 ruling in State of Tamil Nadu versus K. Shobana. The judge also pointed out that of the 615 vacancies, 20% (123 vacancies) was intended to be filled up with in-service candidates who were already serving in the police department as Grade-I or Grade-II constables.
While considering those in-service candidates for the post of Sub Inspector, the TNUSRB had erroneously given the reservation benefit meant for Persons who had Studied in Tamil Medium (PSTM) even to those candidates who had already availed the benefit once when they got recruited as constables. Such a benefit could be extended only during first appointment to any service and not repeatedly, the judge said.
The judge also found that two women candidates had been accommodated under the Backward Class (Muslim) category though they had not applied under such category but produced certificates during the course of the selection process claiming to have got converted to Islam long ago. He held that their inclusion in BC(M) category was unlawful since they had not applied under that category in the initial stage.
Finally, the judge ordered that the selection list must be redrawn by first filling 31% of the vacancies (since Tamil Nadu follows 69% communal reservation) on the basis of total marks obtained by the candidates irrespective of caste, community or religion and then apply the reservations for various communities. He appointed former Jammu and Kashmir High Court Chief Justice Mr. Vasanthakumar to oversee the process.
Published – April 25, 2025 07:57 am IST
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