CAT stays provision mandating Urdu as basic qualification for NT post
Srinagar, Jul 14: The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) in Jammu on Monday put on hold the provision of the Jammu and Kashmir Revenue (Subordinate) Service Recruitment Rules of 2009, requiring Graduation with knowledge of Urdu as the minimum qualification for the post of Naib Tehsildar in Jammu and Kashmir.
“This Court hereby stays the operation of the relevant provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Revenue (Subordinate) Service Recruitment Rules of 2009, insofar as they mandate Graduation with knowledge of Urdu as the minimum qualification for the post of Naib Tehsildar,” a division bench of Rajinder Singh Dogra Member (J) and Ram Mohan Johri Member (A) said.
The tribunal further directed the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Recruitment Board (SSRB) to accept applications for the post of Naib Tehsildar from candidates who possess Graduation with knowledge of any of the five official languages enumerated in the Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Act, 2020, which includes Hindi, Kashmiri, English, Dogri, and Urdu.
While the bench issued notices to the government and SSB for filing their reply within four weeks, it listed the matter for further consideration on August 13, 2025.
In their plea, the aggrieved candidates have contended that the Jammu and Kashmir Revenue (Subordinate) Service Recruitment Rules of 2009, to the extent they stipulate Graduation with knowledge of Urdu as the minimum qualification for the post of Naib Tehsildar, are discriminatory and be declared ultra vires the Constitution of India.
The petitioners contend that this requirement discriminates against those who possess knowledge of other official languages recognized under the Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Act, 2020, such as Hindi, Kashmiri, English, and Dogri, thereby violating the principles of equality and non-discrimination enshrined in the Constitution.
The aggrieved candidates have further expressed their grievance with regard to the advertisement notification No. 05 of 2025, dated June 9, 2025, wherein the minimum qualification for the post of Naib Tehsildar has been put Graduation with knowledge of Urdu. The petitioners have submitted that this restriction unfairly excludes individuals having proficiency in any of the other official languages, including Hindi, Kashmiri, English, and Dogri, and thereby impedes their eligibility to apply for the said post in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
The petitioners have also sought appropriate directions from the Court restraining the respondents from cancelling the candidature of individuals, including the petitioners, for the post of Naib Tehsildar solely on the ground that they do not possess knowledge of Urdu, despite their proficiency in Hindi, Kashmiri, English, and Dogri, all of which are recognized under the Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Act, 2020.
It is the petitioners' contention that such a restriction is arbitrary and discriminatory, as the Act recognizes multiple languages as official languages of the Union Territory. “Upon hearing the learned counsel for the applicants, this Court is of the considered view that the provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Revenue (Subordinate) Service Recruitment Rules of 2009, to the extent it mandates Urdu as the exclusive language qualification, prima facie appears to be discriminatory, especially in light of the provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Act, 2020,” the bench said and stayed the provision requiring Graduation with knowledge of Urdu as the minimum qualification for the post of Naib Tehsildar in Jammu and Kashmir.
