Madurai — August 23, 2025: The Madras High Court has upheld a prior judgment compelling the Tamil Nadu government to appoint Dr. P. Palavesakumar, a differently-abled Siddha medical doctor from the Scheduled Caste community, to the post of Assistant Medical Officer (Siddha). Dr. Palavesakumar, who holds an MD in Siddha, scored 57 out of 100 in the 2017 recruitment exam conducted by the Medical Services Recruitment Board—but was omitted from the provisional selection list despite meeting the eligibility criteria.
He subsequently filed a petition in 2017, and in 2019, a single-judge bench directed authorities to reconsider his claim if a vacancy existed. However, the Board dismissed his case, prompting a fresh legal battle. In February 2023, the single judge ruled that the reservation policy had been misapplied—meritorious SC candidates were wrongly placed in reserved slots instead of being eligible for open-category positions—and ordered his appointment against a general vacancy.
The Board’s appeal in 2024 was dismissed by a division bench made up of Justices J. Nisha Banu and S. Srimathy. In their 2025 decision, the bench affirmed the correctness of the lower court’s reasoning and found no fault with the earlier ruling. Consequently, the appeal was officially dismissed.
Summary at a Glance:
Petitioner
Dr. P. Palavesakumar — differently-abled, SC, MD (Siddha)
Exam Year
2017 — Score: 57/100
Initial Action (2017–2019)
Petition filed; 2019 order to reconsider if vacancy existed
Single Bench Order (2023)
Reservation policy flawed—appointment ordered against general vacancy
