Overview

• The Supreme Court of India rejected a plea challenging Telangana's 2023 rule requiring Telugu proficiency for civil judge appointments.
• A bench led by Justices B. R. Gavai and Augustine George Masih ruled that the rule is a legitimate administrative decision, not discriminatory under Article 14 of the Constitution.
• The petitioner, an Urdu-speaking advocate, argued that the rule excluded 15% of Telangana's population, which identifies Urdu as their primary language.
• The Telangana High Court had previously upheld the rule in November 2024, stating that it was a policy decision aimed at improving judicial administration.
• The Supreme Court's decision leaves the Telugu language requirement in place for future civil judge recruitments in the state.