In a big decision by the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, a group of judges decided on February 27, 2026, that degrees obtained through Open University systems without completing 10th and 12th grades are not valid for government jobs or promotions in Tamil Nadu.
The case started with Murugesan challenging the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation. The issue was about whether degrees from Open Universities, which did not require finishing 10th and 12th grades, were valid. This was just one of many similar cases, leading to a larger group of judges being formed to solve the issue.
The problem goes back to a Supreme Court decision in Annamalai University's case on February 25, 2009. The Court decided that degrees obtained without completing 10+2 schooling were not valid. This decision led the Tamil Nadu government to issue an order on August 18, 2009, stopping the recognition of such degrees for government jobs.
Over the years, different government orders and explanations were given, causing confusion. At first, a 1985 order accepted these degrees, but it was later canceled. A key order issued on November 20, 2017, repeated the Supreme Court's decision, but there were still arguments about applying it to past cases.
The group of judges, including Dr. G. Jayachandran, S. Srimathy, and K.K. Ramakrishnan, made it clear that the Supreme Court's decision is the law and must be applied from the date of the judgment in 2009. They said:
"No benefit can be claimed by the candidates based on their Pre-Foundation and Foundation course certificates after the issuance of the 2009 order."
The court decided that those who were already hired or promoted before the 2009 judgment would not be affected, but any more promotions based on these degrees are not allowed unless the person later completed the necessary 10th and 12th grades.
The judgment highlights the need to follow official educational qualifications for government jobs in Tamil Nadu, matching national educational standards. The decision is meant to keep educational quality and consistency across the state's public services.
