Justice M.V. Muralidaran named Chairperson of TN SC/ST Commission

11 November 2026 · English Awards, Appointments & Persons

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Topics: Appointments · UPSC Prelims · TNPSC · SSC · Current Affairs

Current affairs of 11 November 2026 (Shanmugam IAS Academy) – explained for UPSC, TNPSC and other competitive exams

News

The Tamil Nadu government issued an order on 10 November 2026 appointing Justice M.V. Muralidaran, a former judge of the Madras High Court who retired from the Calcutta High Court in 2024, as Chairperson of the Tamil Nadu State Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The post had been vacant since the previous Chairperson, retired judge S. Tamilvanan, died in office on 22 March 2026. Reports say the appointment was made on the recommendation of a high-level committee headed by the Chief Secretary. He will hold office for three years from the date he takes charge or until he turns 75, whichever is earlier. The Commission was set up under the Tamil Nadu State Commission for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Act, 2021. Its main task is to inquire, on its own or on a victim's petition, into complaints of caste-based rights violations.

Key facts for the exam

Background

• Structure of the State Commission: under the 2021 Act (Bill introduced on 9 Sep 2021) the Commission has a Chairperson, a Vice-Chairperson, five members (three SC, one ST and one person with special knowledge of SC/ST matters; at least one a woman) and an IAS officer as Member-Secretary. The Chairperson must be a retired High Court judge from an SC/ST community; a 2024 amendment raised the Chairperson's age limit from 70 to 75. Its annual report is laid before the Assembly with an action-taken memorandum.
• Laws it watches: the Commission inquires into violations of the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955 (originally the 'Untouchability (Offences) Act', renamed in 1976) and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. It has civil-court powers such as summoning witnesses and calling for documents. If the National Commission for SCs or STs is already dealing with a matter, the State Commission does not take it up.
• Constitutional background: Article 338 – National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC); Article 338A – National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST; carved out by the 89th Amendment, 2003); Article 338B – National Commission for Backward Classes (102nd Amendment, 2018). These are constitutional bodies, whereas the State Commission is a statutory body created by a State law. Article 17 abolishes untouchability; Article 46 directs the State to promote the educational and economic interests of weaker sections; under Articles 341 and 342 the President notifies the SC and ST lists for each State, and only Parliament can change them by law.
• Social-justice history: Rettamalai Srinivasan represented the Depressed Classes along with Dr B.R. Ambedkar at the First and Second Round Table Conferences in London (1930–31). Tamil Nadu's 69% reservation law (1993; including 18% for SCs and 1% for STs) was placed in the Ninth Schedule by the 76th Constitutional Amendment (1994).

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Sources: Dinakaran; ETV Bharat Tamil; ThePrint Hindi (Bhasha); PRS – TN Bill 40 of 2021; PRS – TN Bill 30 of 2024; The Hindu; DT Next. Compiled by Shanmugam IAS Academy.

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