In a significant development, the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has stayed the enforcement of provisions under the Jammu and Kashmir Revenue (Subordinate) Service Recruitment Rules, 2009, when Omar Abdullah was the Chief Minister of the state, that mandated knowledge of Urdu as a compulsory qualification for the post of Naib Tehsildar.
The order was issued by a CAT Bench comprising Rajinder Dogra and Ram Mohan Johri while hearing a petition filed by Rajesh Singh and others. The Tribunal directed the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (SSB) to accept applications from candidates who possess a Graduation degree along with knowledge of any one of the five official languages recognized under the Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Act, 2020 — namely Hindi, Kashmiri, English, Dogri, and Urdu.
Senior Advocate Abhinav Sharma, assisted by Advocate Abhirash Sharma, appeared for the petitioners. Additional Advocate Generals Rajesh Thappa and Sudesh Magotra, along with Deputy Advocate General Hunar Gupta, represented the Union Territory administration.
The Tribunal, while passing the interim order, observed that the exclusive requirement of Urdu knowledge in the 2009 recruitment rules appeared prima facie discriminatory in light of the updated linguistic framework provided by the Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Act, 2020.
“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”, the Bench stated in its order.
The Tribunal has also issued notices to the respondents, directing them to file their replies within four weeks. The matter has been listed for the next hearing on August 13, 2025.
(With inputs from Daily Excelsior)
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