Facts
The petitioners, former apprentices of the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO), challenged TANGEDCO proceedings and recruitment notifications requiring them to sit written examinations for recruitment to Technical Assistant, Assistant Engineer, and Field Assistant posts.
Source reference: pp.14–15They sought exemption from the examinations and a scheme for absorbing former apprentices under Section 22(1) of the Apprentices Act, 1961.
Source reference: pp.14–15At the hearing, petitioners’ counsel accepted that the issues were covered by the decision in W.P. No. 5411 of 2016 and batch, and that the appeals from that decision had been dismissed in W.A. No. 594 of 2016 and batch on 5 January 2026.
Source reference: pp.16–17, paras. 2–4Issues
Whether the petitioners were entitled to relief against the requirement to sit written examinations for the notified posts, given the prior decisions in W.P. No. 5411 of 2016 and batch and W.A. No. 594 of 2016 and batch.
Source reference: pp.16–17, paras. 2–6Whether the petitioners were entitled to a direction requiring TANGEDCO to formulate a scheme for absorbing former apprentices under Section 22(1) of the Apprentices Act, 1961.
Source reference: pp.14–15; p.17, para. 6Law Applied
The Court treated the issues as governed by its prior decision in W.P. No. 5411 of 2016 and batch, as affirmed by the Division Bench in W.A. No. 594 of 2016 and batch.
Source reference: pp.16–17, paras. 2–6It did not independently interpret or apply Section 22(1) of the Apprentices Act, 1961, or set out the substantive reasoning or legal rule in those earlier decisions.
Source reference: pp.16–17, paras. 2–6Reasoning
The petitioners’ counsel acknowledged that the same issues had already been decided against the petitioners in the earlier writ proceedings and that the resulting appeals had been dismissed.
Source reference: pp.16–17, paras. 2–6The respondents placed copies of those orders before the Court. Treating the present petitioners as similarly situated and the issues as covered by the Division Bench decision, the Court concluded that the present petitions could not succeed; it did not undertake a separate examination of the recruitment requirements or the requested absorption scheme.
Source reference: pp.16–17, paras. 2–6Holding
The Court dismissed W.P. Nos. 12522–12524 of 2016, holding that the issues were covered by the Division Bench decision in W.A. No. 594 of 2016 and batch.
The connected miscellaneous petitions were closed, with no order as to costs.
Source reference: p.17, para. 6Acts & Sections Cited
1 provisions across 1 statute referred to in this judgment. Each provision opens on LawLens.
Apprentices Act, 19611
Original Court PDF
M.BaskarvsTamilnadu Generation and
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