A division bench of the Madras High Court on Monday, June 14, dismissed a petition which challenged the 20% preferential quota in state government jobs for those who have pursued and completed their school and graduation in Tamil medium.

The bench, consisting of justices T Raja and K Kumaresh Babu, refused to entertain the plea by S Shalini, who is an employee of the Tamil Nadu Prisons Department.

She questioned the amendment made to the Tamil Nadu Appointment on a Preferential basis in the Services under the State of persons studied in Tamil Medium Act (PSTM Act), 2020 and prayed for staying the operation of the amendment.

It was informed to the court by Additional Advocate General (AAG) J Ravindran that a candidate would qualify to avail the quota only if they have completed the entirety of their school education as well as graduate education in Tamil medium.

He also mentioned how similar petitions filed before the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court had already been dismissed.

It was stated in Shalini's petition that when she tried to avail the 20% quota when she applied for TNPSC Group-I service, she was asked to produce certificates depicting that she had completed the 10+2+3 education in Tamil medium under the amendment.

As she is a resident of a border village in the Nilgiris, she had to study Class XI and XII in English medium at a school which was located in the neighbouring state Kerala. This is because there was no higher secondary school in the surroundings of her village. She rued that this had deprived her of the privilege to avail of the preferential quota.