CHENNAI: A division bench of the Madras High Court has set aside the single judge’s order directing promotion of superintendents in the Department of Public Libraries as district library officers, and upheld the 2025 amendment to the ad hoc rules providing for promotion.
“In the present case, the basis for seeking promotion is the availability of vacancies in the post of District Library Officer, which in the opinion of this court, would not constitute a cause for institution of a writ petition. Secondly, mere possession of requisite qualification per se is not a ground to claim promotion,” the bench comprising Justices S M Subramaniam and N Senthilkumar said in a recent order passed on a batch of appeals filed by librarians, superintendents, the secretary of the school education department and the director of public libraries.
The single judge’s order was issued on October 30, 2024, holding that the superintendents of the department are eligible for promotion and they shall be treated on par with grade-I librarians for promotion to the post of district library officers. The bench set aside the order, saying that no writ seeking a direction to promote an employee is maintainable. Such writ petitions are liable to be rejected in limine since promotion per se is not a vested right.
Further, the bench upheld the amendments made by the government on December 9, 2025, in the ad hoc rules for promotion through a G.O, which provides for promotion to eligible persons serving as Grade-I librarians and inspectors of libraries, and by deputation on a tenure basis from among the holders of the post of librarian and information officer in Anna Centenary Library and Kalaignar Centenary Library. It noted that the writ petitions challenging these amendments were dismissed by the Madurai Bench of the High Court.