HC: Study in Tamil medium from Class 1 must to avail govt quota

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court categorically held that only the aspirants who complete their entire education in Tamil medium from Class 1 up to the prescribed qualification alone are entitled to the 20 per cent reservation in government jobs under the Persons Studied in Tamil Medium (PSTM) Act.

Pointing out that students undergoing studies in Tamil medium was sharply decreasing, a division bench comprising Justice N Kirubakaran and Justice B Pugalendhi slammed the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) of liberally interpreting it as having completed the prescribed course alone in Tamil.

Also deprecating TNPSC’s stand of offering PSTM reservation based on the information given by the candidates without verification, the bench led by Justice Kirubakaran said,

“It is crystal clear that Tamil medium of instruction has been preferred at all levels of education only in order to facilitate a conducive atmosphere and nowhere it has been mentioned that it would suffice at the time of acquiring the prescribed qualification.”

Any interpretation that

Tamil medium in the prescribed qualification alone would lead to an absurd situation that was not intended by the legislature, the bench said. “Such interpretation would go against the very object of the Act, which was meant to make the population study in Tamil medium at all levels of education,” Justice Kirubakaran added.

The bench directed TNPSC secretary to allow only candidates who completed their entire education or from their schooling up to the desired degree or prescribed qualification in Tamil medium to avail the PSTM quota.

“It is made clear that those who have superficially or artificially tried to comply with the provisions of the Act by merely getting the prescribed qualification alone in Tamil medium are not entitled to the benefit,” the bench stressed.

Also, considering the submission of the petitioner, Sakthi Rao, that there was a big scam in Madurai Kamaraj University and Annamalai University in issuing fake certificates under the garb of distance education, including PSTM certificates, Justice Kirubakaran directed the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption that is already probing the allegation of MKU issuing fake certificates to expand the scope of investigation by finding out if any similar offence was committed in any other universities in the State.