J-K Government to Hold Meeting Tomorrow on Continuation of Urdu in Naib Tehsildar Exam

J-K Government to Hold Meeting Tomorrow on Continuation of Urdu in Naib Tehsildar Exam

The Jammu and Kashmir Government has summoned an important meeting to address the escalating controversy over the inclusion of Urdu as a qualifying criterion in the Naib Tehsildar recruitment process.

The meeting will take place on October 6, 2025, at 3 p.m. in the Civil Secretariat, Srinagar, as per an official notice issued by the Chief Minister’s Secretariat.

The meeting aims to deliberate on the “issues and demands” raised by the All Jammu & Kashmir Patwar Association and the J&K Urdu Coordination Committee regarding the continuation of Urdu in the Naib Tehsildar (N.T.) recruitment process.

As per the notice, several top officials have been directed to participate, including the Financial Commissioner (Revenue), Additional Chief Secretary to the HCM, Commissioner/Secretary to the Government, GAD, Secretary, Revenue Department, Chairman, J&K Services Selection Board (SSB), Special Secretary (N)/(H), Chief Minister’s Secretariat, and OSD to the Hon’ble Chief Minister.

The officers who are stationed outside have been permitted to join via video conferencing, with the meeting link to be shared separately.

As per the circular, the meeting aims to deliberate on the “issues and demands” raised by the All Jammu & Kashmir Patwar Association and the J&K Urdu Coordination Committee regarding the continuation of Urdu in the Naib Tehsildar (N.T.) recruitment process.

It is pertinent to mention here that in July 2025, the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) made working knowledge of Urdu mandatory for candidates applying for Naib Tehsildar posts. Strong opposition was raised in the Jammu region by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which called the clause “discriminatory” and “unconstitutional.”

In July 2025, the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), Jammu Bench, issued an interim stay on the Urdu clause, allowing candidates proficient in any of J&K’s five official languages (Urdu, Hindi, English, Dogri, or Kashmiri) to apply.

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Later, the government withdrew the referred posts. While Urdu has served as the official language since 1889, the 2020 Official Languages Act recognized five languages, signaling a shift toward inclusivity.

Now, the outcome of the October 6 meeting will decide not only the fate of Urdu in J&K’s bureaucracy but also the broader debate over linguistic equity and regional identity in the Union Territory.