Madras HC restrains TNPSC from publishing results of exam held under common syllabus

CHENNAI: To settle the issue between the candidates who pursued ITI and Diploma courses, the Madras High Court directed the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) not to release the result of the first examination conducted for the post of field surveyor, draughtsman and assistant draughtsman under common syllabus.

A division bench of Justice R Suresh Kumar and Justice C Saravanan directed the TNPSC to tabulate the exam result and place it before the bench in a sealed cover for further proceedings.

The bench also directed TNPSC to conduct the exams on scheduled dates January 19 and February 17 allowing all the candidates including the ITI candidates, to appear in the exam for the second paper to posts of field surveyor, draftsman and assistant draughtsman.

The directions were issued in an appeal preferred by A Mathiyazhagan challenging the single judge order which allowed TNPSC to conduct examinations for the post of field surveyor, draughtsman and assistant draughtsman under a common syllabus.

While hearing the matter the bench suggested the State fix ratio or quota among the diploma and ITI holders, so there could be no impediment in conducting the common examination.

However, the Advocate General (AG) PS Raman submitted that the State government has not agreed to give any quota or ratio earmarking a certain number of posts for ITI holders.

"Since the issue has to be given a quietus, where ITI holders are not able to secure at least a minimum number of posts earmarked as ITI as being minimum qualification, the entire expectation and confidence of the persons with the ITI qualification, would be shattered," wrote the bench and directed the commission not to publish the result until the matter is resolved by the court.

The matter was posted to the first week of March for further proceedings.

On November 6, 2024, Justice V Bhavani Subbaroyan ordered TNPSC to hold the examinations for the post of field surveyor, draughtsmen and assistant draughtsmen by specifying a common syllabus for both diploma and civil engineering degree holders as well as ITI holders, while disposing of a petition seeking common examination.