Tamil Nadu Government to Take Back Order on Law University Registrar's Promotion

The Tamil Nadu government has informed the Madras High Court that it will cancel an order issued on September 8, 2026. That order had temporarily promoted a university registrar to the post of Director of Legal Studies. The state stated that the vacancy will now be filled through a proper selection process under the Special Rules for the Tamil Nadu Collegiate Educational Service. Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arul Murugan recorded this statement from the Advocate General and closed a writ appeal filed by the state. The judges also closed the related writ petition that was pending before a single judge since the government decided to drop the order entirely. The legal challenge began in June 2026 when the principal of the Vellore Government Law College filed a petition in the High Court. He challenged an earlier March order that gave the university registrar full additional charge of the Director of Legal Studies role. The petitioner argued that holding both full-time positions at the same time violated service rules and that the director post should go to qualified law college principals or via direct recruitment or transfer. After a single judge stayed that March order, the state appealed and promised to start a regular appointment process within two months. However, the government later issued a fresh order in September using emergency powers under Section 47(1) of the Tamil Nadu Government Servants Act of 2016 to temporarily promote the same official again. Another single judge stayed this September order because it went against the state's earlier promise to the court. When the state appealed that stay, the first bench recorded the final decision to withdraw the order completely.

Context

High courts in India regularly hear service matters where government employees or public servants challenge administrative appointments and promotions made by state departments. Such petitions generally focus on whether proper service rules and statutory provisions were followed when assigning temporary or additional charge to senior posts.