(Prayer:- Writ petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India praying for issuance of a Writ of Certiorarified Mandamus Calling for records relating to provisional select list vide Notification No. 63/2024 dated 07.05.2024 issued by the 1st respondent calling candidates for physical certificate verification and counselling and to quash the same in so far as the failure to include registration No.0401056025 in it by considering the petitioner under ST Category with all consequential benefits.)

This writ petition has been filed for the following relief:

               “To issue a Writ of Certiorarified Mandamus calling for the records relating to the provisional select list vide Notification No. 63/2024 dated 07.05.2024 issued by the 1st respondent calling candidates for physical certificate verification and counselling and to quash the same in so far as the failure to include registration No.0401056025 by considering the petitioner under ST Category with all consequential benefits.”

2. The petitioner would submit that he belongs to the Hindu Kurumans (Scheduled Tribe) community. The petitioner and his family are permanent residents of Pallipatti Village and have been following the customs, traditions and religious practices of the Kurumans community from time immemorial. The petitioner's close blood relatives, including his maternal uncle, maternal aunt and maternal cousin, were issued ST Kurumans Community Certificates, which were subsequently verified and confirmed as genuine by the State Level Scrutiny Committee. The petitioner's mother was also issued an ST Kurumans Community Certificate on 15.05.2023 based on the documentary evidence . Thereafter, the petitioner was issued ST Kurumans Community Certificate No. TN-520230601103 dated 06.06.2023.

3. In the meantime, the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission had issued a Notification No.03/2022 dated 23.02.2022 inviting applications for Group II and Group II-A posts. The petitioner applied for the said recruitment under the PSTM category. At the time of submitting the application, the petitioner was in possession of a Kurumbar MBC Community Certificate, which had been erroneously issued. However, the petitioner did not claim any benefit under the MBC category. The petitioner appeared in the preliminary examination, qualified for the same, uploaded the required documents and thereafter appeared in the main examination held on 25.02.2023. After obtaining the ST Kurumans Community Certificate, the petitioner submitted a representation dated 28.11.2023 requesting the respondents to consider his candidature under the Scheduled Tribe category. However, no orders were passed. On 07.05.2024, the 1st respondent had published a Notification No.63/2024 containing the list of candidates provisionally selected for certificate verification and counselling. The petitioner's name was not included therein. According to the petitioner, he secured 124.50 marks, whereas the last selected candidate under the MBC category secured 125.50 marks. The petitioner contends that had he been considered under the Scheduled Tribe category, he would have been selected. Aggrieved by the notification dated 07.05.2024 issued by the 1st respondent, the petitioner has filed the present writ petition.

4. Heard the learned counsel on both sides and perused the materials available on record.

5. From a perusal of the affidavit filed in support of the writ petition, counter affidavit and the documents filed, it is seen that the petitioner had made his online application stating that he belongs to the Kurumans Community which comes under the MBC category and had filed a certificate to that effect. Therefore, it is crystal clear that the petitioner had applied for various posts through TNPSC contending that he belongs to the MBC category. The fact that the ST Community Certificate had not been furnished at the time of submission of the application is admitted. The learned counsel for the petitioner has contended that the certificate had been provided to the respondents vide registered letter dated 28.11.2023, wherein he submitted that after submission of the application, he had obtained the ST Community Certificate and sought correction of his community status in the application form from MBC Kurumbar to ST Kurumans. The main examination had been completed on 25.02.2023 and on 07.05.2024, the 1st respondent published the notification on the website of TNPSC with the list of provisionally selected candidates for physical certificate verification and counselling held from 15.05.2024 to 20.06.2024. The petitioner, who claims to have forwarded the ST certificate to the respondents, has not taken any steps till the filing of this writ petition to upload the said certificate and it is only after the declaration of results that the petitioner has come forward with this writ petition. The learned counsel for the petitioner has relied upon a judgment of this Court reported in CDJ 2024 MHC 3925[P.Geetha Vs. The State of Tamil Nadu, Represented by its Principal Secretary to Government, School Education Department, Chennai and Others] in support of his argument that the correction of the application and the documents can be submitted even after the certificate verification. Even the facts of that case does not apply to the facts of the present case. In the case referred to, the petitioner belonged to the backward class category who had by mistake clicked on the general category. However, in the case on hand, on the date on which the petitioner had applied he did not possess the ST certificate. Therefore, the said case cannot apply to the facts of the present case. In the instant case, the petitioner has produced a certificate that he belongs to MBC category and now he seeks the same to be corrected, that too after completing his written examination. Therefore, I see no reason to interfere with the impugned notification. Accordingly, this writ petition is dismissed. No costs. Consequently, connected miscellaneous petitions are closed.