Candidates With Knowledge of Any Official Language Now Eligible to Apply
Diplomat Correspondent
Jammu (DD): In a major relief to job aspirants across Jammu and Kashmir, the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), Jammu Bench, has stayed the implementation of a rule that made knowledge of Urdu mandatory for appointment to the post of Naib Tehsildar.
The stay order pertains to a provision in the Jammu and Kashmir Revenue (Subordinate) Service Recruitment Rules, 2009, which required candidates to be graduates with knowledge of Urdu as a compulsory qualification.
A bench comprising Member (A) Ram Mohan Johri and Member (J) Rajinder Singh Dogra issued the interim order while hearing a petition filed by a group of candidates who argued that the Urdu-only condition was discriminatory and violated constitutional guarantees of equality and equal opportunity.
Represented by Senior Advocate Abhinav Sharma and Advocate Abhirash Sharma, the petitioners contended that the rule excluded otherwise eligible candidates who are proficient in one or more of the five official languages recognised under the Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Act, 2020—namely Urdu, Hindi, English, Dogri, and Kashmiri.
The Tribunal observed that “prima facie, the Urdu-only requirement appears discriminatory”, especially given the 2020 legislation that grants official status to multiple languages in the Union Territory.
The applicants also challenged Advertisement Notification No. 05 of 2025, dated June 9, 2025, issued by the J&K Services Selection Board (JKSSB), which reiterated Urdu proficiency as a mandatory eligibility condition.
In its interim relief, the Tribunal directed the JKSSB to accept applications from candidates who possess knowledge of any of the five official languages and stayed the operation of the Urdu-only clause in the recruitment rules.
Notices have been issued to the General Administration Department (GAD) and other respondents, directing them to file their responses within four weeks. The matter has been listed for the next hearing on August 13, 2025.(DD)