The Government of Tamil Nadu has directed all educational institutions (government, state-aided and private) to certain guidelines regarding the implementation of preferential reservation for Arunthathiyars under the Tamil Nadu Arunthathiyars (Special Reservation) Act, 2009.
The directions issued in the light of the judgment of the Madras High Court directed all educational institutions to fill the vacant/general/unreserved seats first purely on the basis of merit. “Arunthathiyar candidates are fully eligible to contest in this category,” the Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Department said in a release.
The rotation prescribed in April 2009 (through GO No. 50) was to be strictly followed while fulfilling the 18% Scheduled Caste quota. “The SC(A) preference seats (rotation points 2, 32 and 66) will be offered to Arunthathiyar candidates first,” said a notification dated May 8 this year.
In the remaining SC general seats, all scheduled caste candidates, including Arunthathiyars, will contest on the basis of inter-se merit, he said. The selection or admission of deserving Arunthathiyar candidates to SC General seats will not under any circumstances reduce or affect the 16% SC(A) preference sub-quota.
The TN Arunthathiyars (Special Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions including Private Educational Institutions and Appointments or Posts in Under-State Services under Reservation for Scheduled Castes) Act, 2009 provides 16% preferential reservation for Arunthathiyars under the overall 18% reservation for SCs in admissions to educational institutions and in government appointments.
Section 8 of the Act is a key provision and contained the overriding reason that claims of Arunthathiyar candidates were also to be considered for unreserved seats on merit and their selection on merit would not affect the number of seats/seats reserved for them under the preferential quota.
Subsequently, the state government issued a GO clarifying that preferential seats for Arunthathiyars were to be allotted in horizontal rotation and eligible Arunthathiyar candidates could compete with other Scheduled Castes candidates on merit. If the preference seats are left vacant, they may be filled by other Scheduled Caste candidates on the basis of merit.
Whileso in his judgment delivered in the case of E. Surya Vs. In the case of Teachers Recruitment Board and other cases, the Madras High Court said that the meritorious Arunthathiyar candidates were eligible for selection/admission under the SC General category purely on merit.
Such selection shall not reduce or affect the 16% SC(A) preference quota and that SC(A) preference rotation points shall be fully protected. “Any contrary interpretation would defeat the object of the 2009 Act.”
Published – 13 May 2026 05:30 IST
