Wed Nov 05 19:23:15 UTC 2025: News Article:

Tamil Nadu to Revise Police Sub-Inspector Seniority List Dating Back to 1995

CHENNAI – November 6, 2025 – The Tamil Nadu government has ordered a revision of the seniority list for all Sub-Inspectors (SIs) of police dating back to 1995, following the dismissal of a review petition by the Supreme Court. The directive impacts all directly recruited SIs, including the 20% quota reserved for in-service candidates.

The government has instructed the Tamil Nadu Uniformed Services Recruitment Board (TNUSRB) to recast gradation lists issued from 1995, ranking SIs based on marks obtained in the qualifying examination/selection process, instead of marks from police training. This revised list will then be sent to the Director-General of Police (DGP)/Head of Police Force (HoPF) for implementation.

The DGP/HoPF is tasked with implementing the Supreme Court’s May 1, 2025 order and issuing the revised seniority list, communicating the changes to all affected officers. Furthermore, the DGP/HoPF must submit proposals to amend service rules regarding seniority fixation for directly recruited SIs. The government will also consider creating supernumerary posts to avoid disruptions during the seniority revision process.

The issue stems from a 1995 government decision to reserve 20% of SI vacancies for police constables and head constables. This decision has been subject to several litigations since its implementation. The Supreme Court, in its May 1 ruling, mandated a common examination for both departmental and open quota candidates for SI recruitment. While the state government sought a review to maintain the use of police training marks for seniority, the Supreme Court dismissed the petition in September 2025.

According to a government order, the implementation of the Supreme Court’s directives involves revising the seniority of a significant number of police personnel directly recruited as SIs, with potential cascading effects on subsequent promotions up to the Superintendent of Police cadre. The government anticipates that this will ensure fairness and adherence to the Supreme Court’s rulings in the appointment and promotion process within the Tamil Nadu police force.

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