THE CORRESPONDENT, GOOD SHEPHERD HIGHER SECONDARY SCHOOL Vs. THE SECRETARY, STATE OF TAMIL NADU, DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION AND ORS.

JUDGEMENT

(1.) HEARD Mr. Isaac Mohanlal, learned counsel for the petitioner; Mr. S. Gunasekaran, learned Government Advocate appearing for the respondents and perused the material available on record including the counter affidavit filed by the 6th respondent.

(2.) THE petitioner is an Educational Institution and has challenged the proceedings dated 13.12.2012 passed by the District Educational Officer, Villupuram/the 5th respondent herein and presently, the 6th respondent is the jurisdictional officer.

(3.) THE petitioner/school was established in the year 1983 as a Middle School, upgraded as High School in 1986 and further upgraded as Higher Secondary School in the year 2002, The petitioner/school is a co -education institution having 22 teaching and 2 non -teaching staff and 813 students were studying in the said institution on the date when the writ petition was filed. The school has been established by the Church of South India [Kanyakumari Diocese] and the school was established after obtaining appropriate permission from the 2nd respondent, vide order dated 22.01.2003. The petitioner/school is situated in a campus measuring 12.43 acres in Serapattu village, Sankarapuram Taluk, Villupuram District. The entire extent of land is owned by the Church of South India Trust Association [Kanyakumari Diocese] which is an Educational Agency for the school. The said educational agency has also given a certificate dated 22.01.2010 stating that the entire extent of land where the school has been established, has been set apart for the petitioner/school.