While appreciating a girl for opting to write her law examinations in Tamil, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court observed that such students should be duly recognised by issuing them ‘Person Studied in Tamil Medium’ Certificate.
Justice M. S. Ramesh observed that the noble object of the government is to encourage the person who studied in Tamil medium. Persons who had studied their course material in Tamil and written their examinations in Tamil could only be deemed to have undergone the course in Tamil medium. The court directed the Government Law College to issue the certificate.
The petitioner, D. Dhivya of Madurai, who had completed her degree in law (three years) sought the ‘Person Studied in Tamil Medium’ Certificate stating that she had written her examinations in Tamil. In her petition filed before the High Court Bench, she said that 20% of vacancies to the post of Civil Judge in Tamil State Judicial Services were reserved for persons who studied in Tamil medium. As she had written her examinations in Tamil she should be considered as a Tamil medium student.
However, the State contended that there was no intake of Tamil medium students during 2012-15 and no Tamil medium classes were held during the period. The petitioner was not entitled for the certificate, it said.
The court observed that the government had not passed any order discontinuing the Tamil medium of instruction in the Government Law College, Madurai. Tamil medium of instruction was introduced in the college in 1978-1979 and it was not cancelled through a separate Government Order. It can only be assumed that the Tamil medium of instruction was always available in the college.
The High Court Bench had earlier, hearing a similar petition, directed the grant of ‘Person Studied in Tamil Medium’ Certificate to A. Aathiyan who had completed his five years integrated law course in the college.
