Supreme Court Stays Madras HC Order on Recruitment Suspension in Tamil Nadu’s Municipal, Water Supply Dept

The Supreme Court on July 4 stayed the Madras High Court's order that halted the ongoing recruitment process for 2,569 vacancies across 16 positions in the Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department (MAWS).

A bench of Justices Manoj Misra and N Kotiswar Singh issued notice on a special leave petition filed by the Tamil Nadu government.

On behalf of the state, senior advocate P Wilson submitted that by the impugned interim order of April 3, 2025, the entire selection process had been stayed until further orders, even though, the issue was limited with regard to grant of benefit of 20% reservation for those students/candidates who have studied in Tamil medium in a private polytechnic/colleges.

He further submitted that only four such students/candidates had approached the high court and therefore, there was no justification to stay the entire selection process which involves 2569 vacancies.

"The matter requires considerations. Issue notice, returnable within six weeks. In the meantime, the effect and operation of the interim order(s) dated 03.04.2025 passed by the High Court of Judicature at Madras to the extent it stays the entire selection process shall remain stayed," the bench ordered.

The bench, however, clarified that the petitioners- the State of would not make final selection as against four vacancies/posts.

In its petition, the state government contended that by the impugned interim order, the division bench of the High Court of Madras, had brought to a grinding halt- a near complete recruitment process to fill 2,569 vacancies in 16 posts in the Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department.

It stated the recruitment notification was published on February 02, 2024. The process itself saw participation of 2,00,499 candidates.

After the written tests, document verification and interview, the counselling process for selected candidates to various posts was also completed in April 2025. The notified vacancies represented about 40% of the sanctioned posts in the Department of Municipal Administration and Water Supply. The impugned interim order of stay was passed at a stage after issuance of letter of provisional selection to selected candidates, halting the process at the eleventh hour.

It contended the writ appeal filed by four unsuccessful candidates who were claiming the reservation earmarked for “persons, who studied under Tamil medium (PSTM)" had not only caused heartburn amongst selected candidates but also was directly affecting governance of the State with several critical field posts in the civic administration being unfilled.

The private respondents who were writ petitioners and writ appellants before the high court applied against PSTM category to various posts under the Diploma Standard Technical category.

Since they could not produce a PSTM Certificate for the Diploma Course, they were treated as non-PSTM. Out of the 556 vacancies earmarked for PSTM candidates, 244 were filled, and the unfilled vacancies were released to non-PSTM categories and filled up as per Section 6 of the Tamil Nadu Appointment on preferential basis in the services under the State of Persons Studied in Tamil Medium Act, 2010, the plea said.

Case Title: State of Tamil Nadu Vs S Sivakumar and Ors Etc

Download judgment here