S YASMINE Vs. SECRETARY TAMILNADU PUBLIC SERVICE

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioner was born to a couple belonging to Christian Nadar community classified as backward community. It appears that she converted herself to Islam and married a Muslim gentleman.

(2.) In response to the Notification issued by the Tamilnadu Public Service Commission calling for applications for selection to Group IV Services in the State of Tamilnadu, issued in April 2012, the petitioner applied. She was successful in the written examination conducted on 7.7.2012 and hence, by a communication dated 30.11.2012, she was invited for counselling and verification of certificates held on 26.12.2012.

(3.) At the time of counselling, the petitioner was informed that since she converted herself from Christianity to Islam, she will be treated as a candidate belonging to 'other communities' not entitled to any reservation. Subsequently, the same was also confirmed by the Public Information Officer of the Tamilnadu Public Service Commission by a communication dated 11.2.2013, holding that the candidature of the petitioner stood rejected, as she had crossed the upper age limit of 30 years, which was fixed for open category candidates. The upper age limit fixed for backward communities was 35 and the petitioner had completed 31 years 2 months and 9 days on the crucial date. Therefore, challenging the said communication, the petitioner has come up with the above writ petition seeking issue of a Writ of Mandamus to direct the respondents to treat her as a candidate belonging to backward community (Muslim).