GO who promoted seven IAS officers to Chief Secretary grade challenged in Madras High Court

A public interest litigation (PIL) petition has been filed in the Madras High Court challenging a government order (GO) issued on December 24, 2025, to promote seven Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers, including T. Udayachandran of the 1995 batch, to the post of Chief Secretary.

Chief Justice Sushruta Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G. The first division bench of Arul Murugan has adjourned the hearing of the case to June 10, 2026 after questioning how a PIL can be entertained by the court on an issue related to officers in government service.

The judges told the petitioner’s counsel that the Supreme Court had held in a series of judgments starting with Dr. Duryodhan Sahu vs. Jitendra Kumar (1998) that government service matters cannot generally be raised before constitutional courts through PIL petitions.

Further, adding that concerns related to officers in government service can be raised only by filing writ petitions before the Central Administrative Tribunal or before a single judge of the High Court, the judges said, the apex court has repeatedly clarified that PILs should not be used as a shortcut.

However, when the lawyer sought time for the presence of his senior to argue the case, the judges adjourned the hearing to June 10, noting that Additional Solicitor General A.R.L. Sundaresan, assisted by senior central government panel lawyer C. Kulandavelu, appeared for the Centre.

IAS officers MA Siddiqui, R. Jaya, P. Senthilkumar, Sandhya Venugopal Sharma, Sri Udayachandran, Hitesh Kumar S. Makwana and B. A GO dated December 2025 was issued to promote Chandra Mohan to the Chief Secretary grade of IAS with effect from January 1, 2026.

The GO also approved the creation of temporary posts of Additional Chief Secretaries in the departments of Economics and Statistics, Health and Family Welfare and School Education so that Ms Jaya, Mr Senthilkumar and Mr Mohan could continue to hold those posts at that time.

The GO also states that Mr. Makwana will be promoted to the Chief Secretary cadre without prejudice to his central deputation as Surveyor General of India. Then, Mr. Siddiqui and Mr. Udayachandran were serving as the Managing Director and Finance Secretary of Chennai Metro Rail Limited respectively. Ms. Sharma was the chairperson of Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation.

However, PIL petitioner M. Balakrishnan from Anna Nagar, Chennai, claimed that the GO should not have been issued without the Centre’s consent/approval and listed the Union Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions as well as the Union Cabinet Secretary as respondents in the case.

He sought direction to the Office of the Principal Accountant General in Tamil Nadu to refrain from paying higher salary, allowances, perquisites, arrears or other pension/monetary benefits to the seven IAS officers on the basis of the GO under challenge.