CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government has re-appointed five of the 11 members of the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC), whose earlier appointment was quashed by the Madras High Court. They will hold the office for a period of six years or till they attain the age of 62 years, whichever is earlier.
The GO in this connection was issued by Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan on April 19.
The Madras HC quashed the GO appointing 11 persons as TNPSC Members, on December 22, 2016 allowing a batch of three PILs from TKS Elangovan, propaganda secretary and Rajya Sabha member of the DMK, advocate K Balu, president of Advocates Forum of Social Justice (affiliated to the PMK) and Dr S Krishnaswamy, president of Puthiya Thamilgam. This HC order was upheld by the Supreme Court on January 9, 2017.
The SC had directed the Tamil Nadu government to conduct fresh selection of TNPSC members after a “meaningful, deliberative process.” Now, the government, after considering the merits of the past members, re-appointed only five - Dr M Rajaram, retired IAS officer, Dr P Krishnakumar, A Subramanian, V Subbiah and AV Balusamy - as members of the TNPSC.
Since the HC and SC held that V Ramamoorthy, a retired district judge, is ineligible for the post of the member of PSC, his name was not considered by the government.
The five past members who are not re-appointed are: Dr R Pratap Kumar, S Muthuraj, M Sethuraaman, M Madasamy and NB Punniamoorthy.
Rajaram, a retired IAS officer, had authored around 40 books, mostly in English: School Education; Quality in Educational Administration; Who Will Bell the Cat? Thirukkural – Pearls of Inspiration, etc.