TN SI Recruitment: Common Exam, No Separate Quota

The Tamil Nadu Government has issued a new order standardising the selection of Assistant Inspectors of Police/Sub-Inspectors with a single common examination for both promotion (20%) and direct recruitment (80%). The decision follows a Supreme Court directive that seniority must be fixed on exam marks. The TNUSRB had notified 1,299 SI vacancies on April 4, but the exam has been put on hold to integrate the new pattern.

What the Government Order Changes

• A single written exam will apply to in-service personnel (constables/head constables eligible for AIP/SI) and general candidates.
• Common physical standards and efficiency tests will be used for both categories.
• Seniority in the panel will be decided on the basis of marks scored in the common examination.
• The 20% promotion and 80% direct recruitment split continues, but through a unified selection workflow.

Background to the Change

Earlier, in-service candidates were tested primarily on Law & Order and Psychology after clearing physical standards, while general candidates faced a written test plus physical tests. The Supreme Court, in a related case, called for a comparable benchmark across channels, prompting the state to move to a single exam and uniform physical evaluation. The Home Department, through Additional Chief Secretary Dheeraj Kumar, confirmed that promotion and direct recruitment will now run under a common selection process.

Status of the TNUSRB SI Examination

The SI exam has been postponed while TNUSRB aligns the pattern with the unified framework. Revised dates and the detailed scheme will be notified. Candidates are advised to continue preparation on a common syllabus approach covering policing, law & order, psychology, reasoning, general studies and current affairs, along with structured physical training to meet uniform standards.

What Candidates Should Expect

• A single paper structure that benchmarks in-service and open-market candidates on the same scale.
• Uniform PET/PMT criteria and events across categories.
• Final merit list and seniority aligned to exam scores, not only service length.
• No change to the 20% promotion / 80% direct vacancy split; only the method is unified.

This update applies to Assistant Inspector/Sub-Inspector recruitment under TN Police, impacting both serving personnel and general category aspirants listed against the 1,299 SI vacancies notified on April 4.