India
Tamil Nadu Gov. to Revoke Order Promoting Law University Registrar as Temporary Legal Studies Director
The Tamil Nadu Government has notified the Madras High Court that it will withdraw a Government Order (G.O.) issued on September 8, 2026, which had temporarily promoted Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University Registrar Gowri Ramesh to the position of Director of Legal Studies (DLS). The vacancy will be filled through the regular process outlined in the Special Rules for the Tamil Nadu Collegiate Educational Service.
Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arul Murugan heard the submission of Advocate General Vijay Narayan and dismissed a writ appeal filed against a single judge’s October 1, 2026 order that had granted an interim stay of the G.O. The Bench also closed the writ petition that was pending before the single judge, as nothing remained in it following the government’s decision to withdraw the G.O.
The case originated when Vellore Government Law College principal M. Rajeswaran filed a writ petition in June 2026 challenging a March 3, 2026 G.O. that had assigned the full additional charge of the DLS post to Ms. Gowri. He argued that a full‑time Registrar could not hold the full‑time DLS post and that the service rules were violated. He also claimed that the vacancy should be filled only through direct recruitment, transfer, or promotion of principals from government law colleges. He questioned how Ms. Gowri could attend Syndicate meetings as both Registrar and DLS, noting his seniority.
Justice P.T. Asha entertained the petition on June 30, 2026, and stayed the March 3 G.O. The state appealed, and the Advocate General informed the first Division Bench that the government would start the regular appointment process for the DLS in accordance with Rule 2(a) of the Special Rules, to be completed within two months. The Bench dismissed the writ appeal on July 23, 2026, after noting that a July 21, 2026 G.O. had given the full additional charge of the DLS to a joint secretary in the Law Department instead of Ms. Gowri.
The September 8, 2026 G.O. temporarily promoted Ms. Ramesh as DLS under Section 47(1) of the Tamil Nadu Government Servants (Conditions of Service) Act, 2016. Mr. Rajeswaran filed a new writ petition on September 29, 2026. Justice Mummineni Sudheer Kumar stayed the September 8 G.O., stating that the government should not invoke Section 47(1) after promising to appoint the DLS according to Rule 2(a).
When the state appealed the stay, the Bench recorded the Advocate General’s submission that the latest G.O. should be withdrawn. The Bench noted that the state would pursue the promotion process in accordance with the law and that the Advocate General had stated the state would take temporary steps to fill the post, as had been done earlier.
Published – November 08, 2026 02:42 am IST