Overview

• The Central Administrative Tribunal issued an interim stay on the 2009 rule requiring basic Urdu proficiency for 75 Naib Tehsildar positions in Jammu and Kashmir.
• In response to the CAT order, the JKSSB deferred the recruitment process until further notice under the tribunal’s directive.
• PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and JKPC leader Sajad Lone accused the judiciary of political influence and warned that dropping the Urdu requirement marginalises Kashmiri speakers.
• The Bharatiya Janata Party welcomed the stay as a step toward broader inclusion under the 2020 Official Languages Act, which grants equal status to Kashmiri, Dogri, Hindi, English and Urdu.
• Urdu has been the primary language for J&K’s revenue and administrative records since the late 19th century, a rationale cited for maintaining the requirement.