Latest news with #Arunthathiyars
The Hindu
03-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Arunthathiyar candidates can compete in SC general quota too: HC
An Arunthathiyar candidate can compete in the Scheduled Caste general category quota on merit basis and if he or she is selected, the sub-quota earmarked for Arunthathiyars will not be affected, said the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court. The most meritorious Arunthathiyar candidate shall not be adjusted against the SC (Arunthathiyar) vacancy in the first instance, observed a Division Bench of Justices G. R. Swaminathan and K. Rajasekar. The court was hearing an appeal preferred by E. Surya, belonging to the Hindu Pallan community. The Teachers Recruitment Board issued a notification in 2019 for the post of Lecturers in Government Polytechnic Colleges and Special Institutions (Engineering/Non-Engineering). She had applied for the post of Lecturer (Information Technology) under the Scheduled Caste category. However, the two vacancies for the post were filled up by candidates belonging to SC (Arunthathiyar) community. The case of the appellant is that one Ms R, Jeyasudha, who scored more marks than her, ought to have been selected against the SC(A) category in the first instance. In that event, in the SC (General) vacancy, the appellant would have competed with others, all of whom had scored lower marks compared to her. Since Ms Jeyasudha was selected against SC (General) vacancy in the first instance itself, the appellant who is not an Arunthathiyar could not be considered for the remaining vacancy which had been reserved for a person belonging to the SC(A) category. She contended the procedure adopted by the recruiting agency was not in conformity with the statutory provisions. A Single Bench dismissed her petition. She preferred an appeal against the order. The Division Bench observed that reservation was introduced with the aim of advancing and giving adequate representation to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other socially and educationally backward classes of citizens. It is well settled that candidates who make it on their own merit have to be adjusted against the General Category candidates. In other words, when vacancies are filled up, the open quota opens first and candidates irrespective of caste, sex etc., are allowed to compete based on merit. The meritorious candidates should be first selected as against the open quota vacancies. Only thereafter, selection has to be made for the vertical reservation category from among the remaining candidates belonging to that particular reserved category (vertical) based on merits, the court observed. It must then be seen if sufficient numbers of candidates to satisfy special reservation (horizontal reservation) have been selected. If not, the required number of special reservation candidates shall have to be accommodated as against social reservation categories by deleting the number of candidates therefrom. At any rate candidates who were selected against a post under the open quota shall not be adjusted against the reserved quota under vertical reservations, the court observed. When a reserved candidate can compete in the open quota on merit and his/her selection would not affect the number of vacancies earmarked for his/her group the same approach should be adopted in the case of sub-reservation also. The court consequently upheld the manner of selection made by the Teachers Recruitment Board.
New Indian Express
07-06-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Ex-backward classes panel chief dies
CHENNAI: Condoling the demise of retired judge and former chairman of Tamil Nadu Backward Classes Commission SM Janardanam (89) due to illness on Friday, CM MK Stalin announced that his final rites would take place with police honours. In his message, Stalin recalled that as a judge of the Madras HC, Justice Janardanam gave several historical judgments between 1988 and 1998. He was appointed as chairman of the TBCC in 2006 and continued in the post till 2015. The CM said based on his recommendations, reservation for Muslims, Christians and Arunthathiyars were implemented in TN. 'Justice Janardanam made a deep impact in the history of social justice in TN, and his death is an irreparable loss,' Stalin added. PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss and Dravidar Kazhagam president K Veeramani were among those who condoled the demise of Justice Janardanam.
The Hindu
06-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Justice Janarthanam's moments of glory
Justice M.S. Janarthanam had, at least, experienced a few moments of glory in the last 20-odd years. After the Supreme Court, in July 2010, provided one year to Tamil Nadu to come out with justification along with quantifiable data for the continuance of the 69% reservation for Backward Classes (BC), Most Backward Classes (MBC) and Scheduled Castes (SCs)/Scheduled Tribes (STs), Justice Janarthanam, as the head of the State BC Commission, had authored a report in support of the quota scheme, as provided in the Tamil Nadu Act 45 of 1994. Exactly a year later, the then AIADMK regime, at a Cabinet meeting, adopted the findings of the report and decided that 'there cannot at all be any doubt regards the fixity of reservation of 50 per cent to Backward Classes, 18 per cent to Scheduled Castes and one per cent to Scheduled Tribes.' On the matter of 'creamy layer' among the BC and MBCs, his take was that though the 1994 law had been in existence for well over 17 years, the Lakshman Rekha line had not been crossed, warranting the application of 'creamy layer' exclusion.' This opinion was also accepted by the government. It continues to be in force. Nearly 20 years ago, when the demand was made for creating special reservation for Arunthathiyars within quota of reservation for SCs, the government had turned to Justice Janarthanam to consider it. In November 2008, he, as the head of a committee, submitted a report to the then DMK government that the representation of the Arunthathiyars in Groups A, B and C services under the State 'has been found grotesquely inadequate.' Consequently, a three percent quota came into force. for the Aruthathiyars. This has withstood the test of judicial scrutiny, says G. Santhanam, who served as Secretary of the BC, MBC and Minorities Welfare Department about 15 years ago. In 2012, he gave an opinion to the government for providing a 10.5% quota to Vanniyars within the 20%.. Though this was acted upon by the previous AIADMK regime nine years later, the Supreme Court, in April 2022, quashed the move.
