Madras High Court
S.Dhanalakshmi vs The Registrar Of Co-Operative ... on 9 January, 2026
W.P.(MD).No.17394 of 2025
BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT
RESERVED ON : 12.11.2025
PRONOUNCED ON : 09.01.2026
CORAM
THE HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE K.KUMARESH BABU
W.P.(MD).No.17394 of 2025
and
WMP.(MD).No.13257, 13259 & 13261 of 2025
S.Dhanalakshmi
...Petitioner
Vs.
1.The Registrar of Co-operative Societies,
No.170, N.V.Natarajan Maligai,
Periyar E.V.R.High Road,
Poonamallee High Road,
Kilpauk, Chennai – 600 010.
2.Thoothukudi District Recruitment Bureau,
Rep.by the Joint Registrar of Co-operative Societies,
No.39, P.T.R.Naidu Street, 1st floor,
Thoothukudi District.
3.The Controller of Examinations,
Thoothukudi District Recruitment Bureau,
O/o.The Joint Registrar of Co-operative Societies,
No.39, P.T.R.Naidu Street, 1st floor,
Thoothukudi District.
...Respondents
1/8
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W.P.(MD).No.17394 of 2025
PRAYER : Writ Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, praying to
issue a Writ of Certiorarified Mandamus, to call for the records on the file of the 3rd
respondent in pursuant to the impugned provisional selection list for the post of Sales
men (women) published vide his official website in Notification No.1/2024 dated
20.06.2025 and quash the same as illegal and arbitrary and consequently direct the
respondents to prepare fresh selection list by implementing the Rule of Reservation
strictly and in a transparent manner by publishing the Communal Wise Cut-off Marks
and Communal Roaster of the selected candidates and thereby consider the petitioner’s
candidature for appointment to the post of Sales Men (Women) in the fair price shops
run by the Co-operative Societies under the control of Co-operative Societies,
Thoothukudi District under the category of First Graduation category or Tamil Medium
category based on her marks secured in the interview within the time limit that may be
stipulated by this Hon’ble Court with all service and monetary benefits.
For Petitioner : Mr.K.Sankar
For Respondents : Mr.M.Ajmal Khan
Additional Advocate General
Assisted by Mr.M.Siddharthan
ORDER
The present writ petition has been filed, seeking a Writ of Certiorarified Mandamus, to quash the impugned Notification No.1/2024 dated 20.06.2025 and to direct the respondents to prepare fresh selection list by implementing the Rule of Reservation strictly and in a transparent manner by publishing the Communal Wise Cut- 2/8 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis ( Uploaded on: 12/01/2026 03:51:07 pm ) W.P.(MD).No.17394 of 2025 off Marks and Communal Roaster of the selected candidates and thereby consider the petitioner’s candidature for appointment to the post of Sales Men (Women) in the fair price shops run by the Co-operative Societies under the control of Co-operative Societies, Thoothukudi District under the category of First Graduation category or Tamil Medium category based on her marks secured in the interview.
2. The learned counsel for the petitioner would submit that the petitioner, having completed her Diploma in Cooperative Management along with an Undergraduate Degree, enrolled herself with the Employment Exchange. He would submit that the 2nd respondent had issued a Notification No.01/2024 dated 09.10.2024, inviting online applications from eligible candidates for Direct Recruitment to the post of Sales Men (Women) in the fair price shops, in which the petitioner had also participated and was confident of getting appointed.
3. However, without following the Rules of Reservation and without uploading the marks obtained by the candidates belonging to the Reserved Categories, a provisional selection list was published, in which the petitioner’s name was not found. It is her grievance that many top-rank holders have been placed under reserved categories rather than accommodating them under the general categories. She had also submitted a 3/8 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis ( Uploaded on: 12/01/2026 03:51:07 pm ) W.P.(MD).No.17394 of 2025 representation on 29.12.2024, which has not evoked any response. Hence, he would submit that it is appropriate that the provisional selection list ought to be interfered with, with a direction to the respondents to prepare a fresh selection list by strictly adhering to the Rules of Reservation in a transparent manner by publishing communal-wise cut-off marks and placing the candidates as per the communal roster on the basis of marks obtained.
4. Countering his arguments, the learned Additional Advocate General would submit that the petitioner had not claimed the “first generation graduate” priority in her application. The petitioner cannot also be given marks for any additional qualifications that she possess contrary to the notification. Only the marks obtained with respect to the prescribed educational qualification and the marks obtained by the candidates in the interview alone would be taken into account. Without challenging the notification, the petitioner cannot seek to count marks beyond the qualification that is prescribed by taking into account additional qualifications, which are not relevant for the appointment.
5. That apart, he would vehemently contend that without making any priority claim in the application, the petitioner cannot be allowed at a later stage to claim such priority quota, even though she may otherwise be entitled to it. He would further submit 4/8 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis ( Uploaded on: 12/01/2026 03:51:07 pm ) W.P.(MD).No.17394 of 2025 that there are totally 80 vacancies for Fair Price Shop Salesmen and 16 vacancies for Fair Price Shop Packers. Even according to the petitioner, the petitioner would be coming under the BC (Women) PSTM category and has secured 65.08 marks, whereas the cut-off for BC (Women) PSTM is 80.25. He would further submit that under the notification, the petitioner was entitled to file an appeal before the Appellate Authority, however, without filing an appeal and exhausting the appellate remedy, the petitioner has approached this Court.
6. I have considered the submissions made by the learned counsel appearing on either side and have perused the materials available on record.
7. The petitioner has preferred this writ petition on the primordial contention that there has been no transparency in the recruitment process, pursuant to which, the impugned provisional selection list came to be issued.
8. It is the claim of the petitioner that the petitioner that she would be appointed either under the First Graduate category or the PSTM category. However, it is the specific stand of the respondents that the petitioner had not sought for any priority category as envisaged. The petitioner had also appended the details of her application 5/8 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis ( Uploaded on: 12/01/2026 03:51:07 pm ) W.P.(MD).No.17394 of 2025 along with the typed set of papers. A perusal of the same would indicate that the petitioner had not claimed any priority category as envisaged by the Government and had only claimed reservation under the PSTM quota, as rightly pointed out by the learned Additional Advocate General.
9. Having not made a claim for priority quota of First Graduate of the family, the petitioner cannot now seek to treat her application under the said priority quota. When that being so, the respondents cannot be found fault with for not considering the claim of the petitioner under the First Graduate priority quota.
10. That apart, it is the specific case of the petitioner herself that she has secured 65.08 marks, whereas the last selected candidate under the BC (Women) PSTM category has secured 80.25 marks, which is more than 15 marks higher than the petitioner. Even the BC priority candidates, who had been selected, had secured marks much above the petitioner.
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11. For the aforesaid reasons, this Court does not find any merit in the writ petition. Accordingly, the writ petition stands dismissed. However, there shall be no order as to costs. Consequently, connected miscellaneous petitions are closed.
09.01.2026 Index : Yes/No Speaking/Non Speaking order Neutral Citation : Yes/No kak To
1.The Registrar of Co-operative Societies, No.170, N.V.Natarajan Maligai, Periyar E.V.R.High Road, Poonamallee High Road, Kilpauk, Chennai – 600 010.
2.Thoothukudi District Recruitment Bureau, Rep.by the Joint Registrar of Co-operative Societies, No.39, P.T.R.Naidu Street, 1st floor, Thoothukudi District.
3.The Controller of Examinations, Thoothukudi District Recruitment Bureau, O/o.The Joint Registrar of Co-operative Societies, No.39, P.T.R.Naidu Street, 1st floor, Thoothukudi District.
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