TN Govt to withdraw GO supporting Law University Registrar Dr. Ambedkar as Interim Director of Legal Studies

The Petitioner argued that a full-time Registrar of the Law University cannot be charged extra for full-time DLS work and that it is against the Service Rules. | Photo credit: FILE PHOTO

The Tamil Nadu government has informed the Madras High Court of its decision to withdraw the Government Order (GO) issued on September 8, 2026 temporarily promoting Tamil Nadu Law University Registrar Dr. Ambedkar Gowri Ramesh as Director of Legal Studies (DLS). It said that the vacancy will be filled through the regular process as contemplated in the Tamil Nadu Collegiate Education Service Special Rules.

Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arul Murugan noted the submission of Advocate General Vijay Narayan and disposed of the appeal filed against the order of the Single Judge dated October 1, 2026 granting interim stay to GO The Bench also closed the judgment pending before the Single Judge as nothing survived.

Vellore Government Law College principal M. Rajeswaran initially filed a plea in the Supreme Court in June 2026 against the government order issued on March 3, 2026 awarding Ms. Gowri full additional fees for the DLS post. He then argued that a full-time Registrar of the Law University cannot be given additional charge for full-time DLS work and that it is against the service rules.

The petitioner contended that the vacancy in the post of DLS could only be filled by direct recruitment, transfer or promotion of those holding the post of Director in any of the Government Law Institutes spread across the State. The petitioner stated that she was senior to Ms. Gowri and wondered how she could attend the meetings of the Syndicate in her ex-officio capacity as Registrar of the University and also as DLS.

Justice PT Asha dealt with this writ petition on 30 June 2026 and stayed the operation of the GO on 3 March 2026. When this stay order was passed on appeal by the state, the AG told the First Division Bench that the state government intended to start the regular process of appointment of DLS under Rule 2(a) and complete it within two months of the special rules.

The Bench disposed of the appeal on July 23, 2026 after noting that the government had also issued a GO on July 21, 2026 fully additionalizing the post of DLS to the Joint Secretary in the Law Department in place of Ms. Gowri.

A GO was then issued on 08/09/2026 temporarily promoting Ms. Gowri as DLS by invoking the extraordinary powers granted to the Government under Section 47(1) of the Tamil Nadu Government Servants (Conditions of Service) Act, 2016. Thus, Mr. Rajeswaran filed another writ petition in the High Court on 29/09/26 challenging the last 2GO 26.

This time, Justice Mummineni Sudheer Kumar stayed the 8 September 2026 GO on the ground that the Government should not have invoked Section 47(1) of the 2016 Act after undertaking before the Division Bench in July 2026 that the post of DLS would be appointed in accordance with Rule 2(a) of the Special Rules.

When the State’s appeal against this stay order came up before the First Bench, it noted the AG’s suggestion that the last GO be withdrawn. “The State will proceed with the process of promotion in accordance with law. The statement of the Advocate General is on record that in the meantime the State will take steps to temporarily fill the post as was done while dealing with the earlier appeal,” the Bench said.

Published – 8 Nov 2026 02:42 IST