Candidates who did not attend Class I but pursued education eventually under the Right to Education (RTE) Act with Tamil as the medium of instruction up to the prescribed qualification, would be able to benefit from the 20% preferential appointment in Tamil Nadu government service, given to persons who studied in Tamil medium (PSTM). The State government has recently modified its guidelines in this regard.
According to the modification issued by Chief Secretary N. Muruganandam for the Human Resources Management Department to the guidelines in this regard, candidates who could not join Class I but who joined schools under the RTE Act between Classes II and VIII with Tamil as the medium of instruction and passed, would be able to obtain preferential appointment in Tamil Nadu government service, if they meet other conditions.
The modification in guidelines also allowed those candidates who have studied in other States with Tamil as the medium of instruction and resumed their education in Tamil Nadu and continued in Tamil as the medium of instruction from the class they joined in the State. “They should obtain certificates from all the educational institutions that their medium of instruction was Tamil upto the prescribed qualification,” it said.
The modification issued by the Human Resources Management Department followed a judgment of the Madras High Court delivered in March 2024 and several representations to the State government requesting to allow those who went to Nila Oli Pallis, those who went to schools only from Class II, III, VI or V and those who could not pursue formal education but completed Class VIII, X, XI and XII as private candidates with Tamil as the medium of instruction.
The modification issued to the guidelines is expected to benefit candidates who might have gone to Nila Oli Pallis (moonlight schools or night schools) that are set up by district administrations to get students, who were out of formal education and were involved in work in the daytime to get education between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. It is also expected to benefit candidates who did not follow the formal education from Class I but completed their schooling under RTE Act, among others.
Published – June 08, 2025 03:53 pm IST
