Discontinued higher education does not disqualify candidates where notification bars only possession or pursuit on application date.

The petitioner applied pursuant to Recruitment Notification dated 06.04.2025 for the posts of Sweeper, Sanitary Worker, Gardener, Waterman and Watchman in the Madras High Court Service.

The notification prescribed a minimum qualification of a pass in VIII Standard, subject to a maximum qualification of Higher Secondary (+2), and required candidates to undertake that they were neither possessing nor pursuing any higher qualification as on the date of application.

Although the petitioner qualified in the written examination, her candidature was rejected on 06.07.2026 under the category “Possessing Higher Educational Qualification,” allegedly because she had joined a Diploma in General Nursing and Midwifery course in 2009.

The petitioner contended that she had discontinued the course on 02.06.2010 and was not pursuing it when she applied on 06.04.2025.

She therefore challenged the rejection and sought permission to continue in the selection process.

1. Whether the petitioner was disqualified under Clause 4(B) of the Recruitment Notification merely because she had previously joined a Diploma course, which she discontinued in 2010, though she was not pursuing it on the date of application in 2025.

2. Whether the rejection of the petitioner’s candidature for possessing a higher educational qualification was legally sustainable.

The Court applied Clause 4(B) of the Recruitment Notification dated 06.04.2025, which prescribed Higher Secondary (+2) as the maximum educational qualification and required an undertaking that the candidate was not possessing or pursuing any qualification higher than Higher Secondary or its equivalent as on the date of submission of the application.

The Court interpreted the clause as containing two distinct requirements: the candidate must not possess a higher qualification, and must not be pursuing a higher qualification on the date of application.

The writ jurisdiction under Article 226 was exercised to review and set aside the administrative rejection that was contrary to the governing recruitment condition.

The Court found that the petitioner possessed only the Higher Secondary qualification and had not acquired any higher qualification.

Her Transfer Certificate established that she had joined the Diploma course on 07.07.2009 but discontinued it on 02.06.2010.

Since the relevant date under Clause 4(B) was 06.04.2025, she was not pursuing the Diploma course when she submitted her application.

The historical fact that she had once joined the course could not satisfy the second disqualifying condition, which concerned the candidate’s status on the date of application.

Accordingly, the respondents wrongly treated her as an overqualified candidate.

The respondents were directed to permit her to participate in the further stages of the selection process in accordance with the Recruitment Notification and the applicable Service Rules.

The connected miscellaneous petitions were closed, with no order as to costs.