Tamil Nadu’s Government Order (GO), issued on December 24, 2025, promoting seven IAS officers of the 1995 batch to the Chief Secretary grade continues to create ripples in the administrative circles in the state.
The issue came to the limelight after a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition was filed challenging the G.O. in the Madras High Court, alleging that the state failed to obtain prior approval of the Union govt as mandated by service rules to promote the seven IAS officers.
The Union Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions told the Madras High Court on Wednesday that the state govt had promoted seven officers to the grade of Chief Secretary without the Centre’s approval.
Not only this, but the ministry also told the first Division Bench of Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arul Murugan that the Centre would initiate necessary action with respect to the promotions given to the seven IAS officers without its approval.
The Centre’s submissions were made just before the Bench dismissed a PIL petition challenging the G.O. promoting the seven IAS officers, including former Finance Secretary T. Udhayachandran, to the CS’s grade.
The seven officers promoted through the G.O. included M A Siddique, R Jaya, P Senthilkumar, Sandhya Venugopal Sharma, T Udhayachandran, Hitesh Kumar S Makwana, and B Chandra Mohan. They were promoted to the CS grade with effect from Jan 1, 2026.
The PIL plea had been filed by a Chennai-based advocate, named M. Balakrishnan. The petitioner alleged that it had become a habit for the state government to promote IAS officers without the approval of the Centre though the rules require the state government to do so only in consultation with the Centre.
However, the judges said a PIL petition filed by a third party could not be entertained in a government service matter and that only the officers aggrieved because of the promotions could file a case if they wished to do so and dismissed the petition.
When the G.O. had been issued, Siddique was serving as the Managing Director of Chennai Metro Rail Limited; Jaya was serving in the Economics and Statistics department; Senthilkumar was the Health Secretary; Sharma was the Chairperson of Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation; Udhayachandran was the Finance Secretary; Makwana was on central deputation as the Surveyor General of India; and Mohan was the School Education Secretary.
Interestingly, the G.O. even accorded sanction for the creation of temporary posts of Additional Chief Secretary in the departments of Economics and Statististics, Health and Family Welfare, and School Education so that Jaya, Senthilkumar, and Mohan could continue to occupy those positions at the same places. The G.O. also stated Makwana shall stand promoted to the Chief Secretary cadre without prejudice to his central deputation.
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