Supreme Court reviews High Court ruling on open university degree for promotion

The case concerns the appellant's challenge to the rejection of his promotion to the post of Assistant Director of Tourism in the Tamil Nadu Government, specifically regarding whether his educational qualifications obtained through open university and distance education modes satisfy the required 10+2+3 degree pattern for public service promotion.

Who it concerns: Appellant: R.J. Gajendra Kumar; Respondents: Government of Tamil Nadu and another; Bench: Justice Ujjal Bhuyan.

What the court decided

• The two related appeals (arising from SLPs against High Court orders) were heard together and disposed of by a common judgment and order.
• The document text provided ends before stating the final operative direction or relief granted by the Supreme Court in this specific judgment.

Also in the document

• The Supreme Court noted that the High Court's Single Judge had previously allowed the appellant's promotion based on earlier Government Orders (GO Ms) that treated open university degrees at par with regular degrees.
• The High Court's Division Bench had set aside the Single Judge's order, holding that the appellant's foundation course was not equivalent to +2 and thus he did not meet the 10+2+3 qualification requirement under later GO Ms.
• The High Court's Review Bench dismissed the review application, holding that while the foundation course could be treated as +2, the distance education graduation disqualified the appellant for promotion.