CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has granted approval to the Teachers Recruitment Board (TRB) to proceed with the process for recruiting 4,000 assistant professors to government-run colleges (arts and science), college of education, and constituent colleges in the state.
A division bench of Justices R Suresh Kumar and V Lakshminarayanan passed the orders on Wednesday while allowing the writ appeals moved by the state government against a single judge’s order quashing two GOs issued in 2022 regarding open competitive process for the recruitment.
The TRB had issued a notification on March 14, 2024, for filling 4,000 vacancies of assistant professors in government-run colleges pursuant to two GOs issued by the higher education department on the mode of selection – open competitive process – and to do away with earmarking of certain posts to guest lecturers.
Guest lecturers, feeling aggrieved by the GOs and notification, approached the court for regularising their services as per a GO issued on March 21, 2020, which earmarked 1,146 posts for guest lecturers.
A single judge, by an order dated April 2, 2024, quashed the portion of the 2022 GO pertaining to not providing a separate window for guest lecturers to be regularised, and directed the government to continue the selection process in terms of the 2022 GO and complete the exercise in 12 weeks.
Challenging the orders of the single judge, the government filed the appeals. The bench set aside the single judge’s order and issued the directions for recruiting assistant professors.
It ordered the government to give appropriate directions to the TRB to notify additional 1,292 posts for recruitment in addition to the 2025 notification for 2,708 posts.
Noting that the government had stated that it has financial capacity to recruit 4,000 assistant posts and 42,064 people have applied, the bench said the recruitment shall be made on open competitive process.
It directed the TRB to grant a maximum of 15 weightage marks to the guest lecturers based on their experience and age relaxation for those who have rendered a very long period of service.
Asking the government to issue a further notification within six months, it said the guest lecturers must not be ousted from service till then.
Relief for guest lecturers
The HC also directed TRB to grant a maximum of 15 weightage marks to guest lecturers based on their experience, and age relaxation for those who have rendered long period of service