Supreme Court halts high court ruling on government jobs for Karur tragedy families

On Friday, the Supreme Court granted a stay on a Madras High Court judgment that had overturned Tamil Nadu’s initiative to reserve government jobs for eligible relatives of the victims of the Karur stampede that occurred last year. The High Court had contended that the scheme ran afoul of established guidelines governing compassionate appointments and the extensive backlog of applicants awaiting public-sector jobs. The Supreme Court’s interim order preserves the state’s employment programme pending further legal review, effectively pausing the High Court’s directive.

Officials noted that the decision offers temporary relief to the state government, which had faced criticism for the policy’s scope. The case highlights the tension between disaster-relief measures and broader civil-service recruitment rules. No further details on the final outcome were provided.