The Madras High Court recently delivered a decisive verdict on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, rejecting a writ appeal lodged by the Tamil Nadu Uniformed Services Recruitment Board (TNUSRB). This ruling effectively endorses a carefully compiled selection list for the recruitment of 621 Sub-Inspectors of Police and 129 Station Officers within the Fire and Rescue Services Department, a list prepared under the expert guidance of retired Chief Justice N. Paul Vasanthakumar.
The Second Division Bench, comprising Justices R. Suresh Kumar and Hemant Chandangoudar, commended the former Chief Justice’s exceptional work. They emphasized that the selection process meticulously adhered to the 69% reservation rule and all relevant Supreme Court directives, expressing their complete satisfaction with his efforts. Consequently, the Bench firmly rejected the TNUSRB’s request to re-evaluate the selection list yet again.
The judges highlighted the extensive history of this particular recruitment. The selection list had already undergone multiple revisions since the initial notification was issued on May 5, 2023. This notification aimed to fill 621 Sub-Inspector positions (498 through direct recruitment and 123 from in-service candidates). An addendum later expanded the recruitment to include 129 Station Officers (103 direct and 26 in-service).
Following the successful completion of both written and physical examinations, a provisional selection list for all 750 vacancies was released on January 29, 2024. However, this immediately sparked a series of writ petitions in the High Court, with petitioners alleging that the prescribed reservation policy had not been correctly applied. Acknowledging these concerns, the TNUSRB admitted to certain errors and committed to revising the list.
A revised selection list was subsequently published on October 3, 2024. Yet, this iteration also became a focal point of legal challenge, as numerous unsuccessful candidates questioned its validity. Justice C.V. Karthikeyan ultimately set aside this revised list on April 22, 2025, citing significant irregularities, and mandated its redrawal under the direct supervision of Mr. Vasanthakumar, who previously served as the Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court.
The TNUSRB complied with this order, and the former Chief Justice meticulously prepared a fresh selection list. However, upon receiving his report, the Board initiated another writ appeal. Their contention was that new discrepancies had arisen concerning communal reservation and that in-service candidates had been unfairly deprived of the preference designated for those who had studied in Tamil Medium (PSTM) category.
Nonetheless, the Bench led by Justice Kumar found no justifiable grounds to intervene with the former Chief Justice’s comprehensive report. The judges reiterated a well-established legal principle: the benefits under the PSTM category are exclusively applicable at the initial point of entry into state service and cannot be repeatedly extended to the same individual during subsequent recruitment processes.
Concluding their order, the Bench instructed the TNUSRB to officially publish the final selection list, based precisely on Mr. Vasanthakumar’s report, within a strict timeframe of 30 days. Additionally, they directed the Board to provide an extra remuneration of ₹5 lakh to Mr. Vasanthakumar within one month. The judges also mandated an additional honorarium of ₹2 lakh each for the two officers who assisted the retired Chief Justice in producing the report, supplementing the equivalent amount they had already received.