M.MEENATCHI Vs. DIRECTORATE OF LEGAL STUDIES

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The present writ petition has been filed by the petitioner seeking for a writ of Mandamus, to direct the second respondent to issue the certificate of Person Studied in Tamil Medium (PSTM) to the petitioner.

(2.) The case of the petitioner is that she has studied from 1st standard to 8th standard in Thiruvallavur Middle School, Gudalur, Theni District, which is a Government aided Tamil Medium School and thereafter, she studied 9th standard to 12th standard in NSK Ponnaiah Gowder Higher Secondary School, Gudalur, Theni District, which is also a Tamil Medium School. In the year 1997, she joined in the Madurai Law College, B.L five years course in Tamil Medium in the Academic Years 1997-2002. The petitioner further states that in Madurai Law College, all the subjects were taught in Tamil and she has written all the examinations only in the language of Tamil. She has enrolled in the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu on 13/3/2003 and her Enrollment number is 495/2003. The petitioner had started practice at Uthamapalayam, Theni District in both civil and criminal cases and for the past 15 years continuing her practice.

(3.) The petitioner further states that the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission issued Notification No.8/2018, dtd. 9/4/2018 to fill up 320 posts of civil Judge in the Tamil Nadu State Judicial Services (Cadre and Recruitment) Rules, 2007. The petitioner has also submitted her application and the same was accepted by the authorities. Since, the petitioner studied in Tamil Medium from 1st standard to Law Graduation, she filled in the column of medium of instruction as Tamil in the application. The preliminary examination was held on 9/6/2018 and she has participated in the said examination and came out successful. As per the notification, dtd. 9/4/2018, the candidates, who have completed the preliminary examination, were called for main examination, which was conducted on 11/8/2018 and 12/8/2018 in both sessions and she has also completed the same successful and called for interview on 1/10/2018 and on that day, the petitioner was asked to produce all the certificates and she has also produced the same before the authorities.