Urdu no longer mandatory for J&K revenue services; sparks row

The J&K Revenue Department issued draft recruitment rules for non-gazetted revenue service posts, in which the clause making Urdu a compulsory language requi...

What Happened

The J&K Revenue Department issued draft recruitment rules for non-gazetted revenue service posts, in which the clause making Urdu a compulsory language requirement for recruitment to the post of Naib Tehsildar has been removed (expunged).
The draft rules were issued for public objections within fifteen days of notification — standard procedure before rules are finalised.
The move follows a June 2025 Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) order that had already scrapped Urdu as a compulsory language requirement in the context of the J&K Services Selection Board (JKSSB) Naib Tehsildar recruitment.
The change sparked significant political reaction:
Political parties in the Kashmir region characterised the move as an attack on Urdu — the language that has served as the lingua franca of J&K governance for over a century and is associated with the Muslim cultural identity of the Kashmir Valley.
Earlier, BJP MLAs and youth wing activists in Jammu had protested demanding the removal of Urdu as a mandatory requirement from the Naib Tehsildar exam, arguing that it disadvantaged non-Urdu speakers (estimated at approximately 60% of applicants).
The controversy reflects the deep regional and communal fault-lines in J&K between the Jammu division (where Dogri and Hindi are more prevalent) and the Kashmir Valley (where Urdu and Kashmiri are predominant).
Urdu retains its status as an official language of J&K — the change applies specifically to its mandatory requirement in revenue service recruitment, not its overall official status.

Static Topic Bridges

J&K Official Languages Act, 2020 — Five Official Languages

The Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Act, 2020 is a Parliament-enacted law that expanded the number of official languages in the then-newly created Union Territory of J&K.

Enacted: September 2020 (Lok Sabha: September 22; Rajya Sabha: September 23, 2020).
Five official languages declared: Kashmiri, Dogri, Urdu, Hindi, and English.
Before the Act: Only Urdu and English were the official languages of Jammu and Kashmir — a status dating to before independence and enshrined in the former J&K Constitution.
Why the change: Post the abrogation of Article 370 and the J&K Reorganization Act 2019 (which bifurcated J&K into two Union Territories — J&K and Ladakh), the Central Government used its legislative power over Union Territories to pass this Act.
Revenue services language: Urdu has historically been the language of revenue records (khasra, khatauni, jamabandi — land records), judicial proceedings, and administrative correspondence in J&K. Its removal from the mandatory requirement for revenue recruitment (not from revenue records themselves) is the specific controversy here.
Legislative Assembly: The Act also permits business in the J&K Legislative Assembly to be conducted in all five official languages.

Connection to this news: The 2020 Act gives Urdu equal footing with four other languages as an official language — but it does not mandate Urdu as the exclusive or mandatory medium for government recruitment. The revenue department's draft rules are an application of this new multi-lingual framework.

Eighth Schedule Languages — J&K's Contribution

The Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution lists languages officially recognised by the Union of India. Recognition entitles a language to be used for certain official purposes and ensures representation in the Official Language Commission.

Current count: 22 languages in the Eighth Schedule.
Languages from J&K in the Eighth Schedule:
Kashmiri: Listed in the original 8th Schedule (1950).
Urdu: Listed in the original 8th Schedule (1950).
Dogri: Added by the Constitution (92nd Amendment) Act, 2003, effective December 22, 2003 — along with Bodo, Maithili, and Santali.
Hindi: A Schedule 8 language, but not specific to J&K.
English: Not in the 8th Schedule — it is an associate official language under Article 343(2).
Sindhi note: Sindhi (relevant to some communities in J&K) was added by the 21st Constitutional Amendment (1967).
Significance of 8th Schedule listing: Entitles the language to representation in the Official Language Commission and facilitates its use in Central Government examinations.

Connection to this news: Three of the five official languages of J&K (Kashmiri, Dogri, Urdu) are in the 8th Schedule. Students in J&K can potentially use any of the five official languages for service commission examinations — the draft rules reflect this expanded framework.

Constitutional Provisions on Official Language (Articles 343–351)

Part XVII of the Constitution (Articles 343–351) deals with the official language of the Union and states.

Article 343: Hindi in Devanagari script is the official language of the Union. English continues as associate official language for 15 years (extendable by Parliament — effectively made permanent by the Official Languages Act, 1963).
Article 344: Constitutes the Official Language Commission.
Article 345: A state legislature may adopt any language(s) used in the state or Hindi as the state's official language. For Union Territories, Parliament has this power.
Article 346: For communication between states, or between a state and the Union, the official language of the Union (Hindi/English) shall be used; two states may agree to use Hindi or any other language for mutual communication.
Article 347: If a "substantial proportion" of a state's population demands recognition of a language, the President may direct that such language shall be officially recognised in that state.
Article 348: The Supreme Court, High Courts, and authoritative texts of Parliamentary/State legislation shall be in English (until Parliament otherwise provides).
Article 350: Every person has the right to submit representations to any authority in any language used in the Union or the state.
Article 350A: Provides for instruction in the mother tongue at the primary stage of education for linguistic minorities.
Article 351: Directive to the Union to promote the spread of Hindi and develop it as a medium of expression for all elements of the composite culture of India.

Connection to this news: Article 345 (as applicable to Union Territories through Parliament) is the constitutional basis for the J&K Official Languages Act 2020. There is no constitutional provision mandating Urdu as the exclusive language of revenue services — that was a policy choice with historical roots, not a constitutional requirement.

J&K Reorganization Act, 2019 and Language Policy

The J&K Reorganization Act, 2019 bifurcated the former State of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories: J&K (with a Legislature) and Ladakh (without a Legislature), effective October 31, 2019.
Post-reorganization, the former J&K Constitution (which made Urdu the sole official language) ceased to apply. Parliament gained full legislative authority over J&K as a Union Territory.
The J&K Official Languages Act 2020 was the legislative exercise of this authority — replacing the Urdu-only framework with five official languages.
Revenue records in J&K — including land records — have historically been maintained in Urdu (Persian script). The practical transition to records in multiple languages or in Devanagari/Roman scripts is a long-term challenge.
The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) had, in June 2025, ruled that mandating Urdu as a compulsory requirement for the JKSSB Naib Tehsildar exam was discriminatory — as it disadvantaged candidates proficient in the other four official languages.

Connection to this news: The draft revenue recruitment rules removing the Urdu compulsion are a direct consequence of the CAT ruling and the broader post-2019 language policy framework. The controversy highlights the tension between historical administrative practice (Urdu as the language of revenue records) and the new multi-lingual official language framework.

The Naib Tehsildar — Role in Revenue Administration

A Naib Tehsildar is a junior gazetted revenue officer responsible for maintaining land records, conducting demarcation of land boundaries, collecting land revenue, and settling village-level disputes.
In J&K (as in most Indian states), the revenue hierarchy runs: Patwari → Girdawar → Naib Tehsildar → Tehsildar → SDM/SDO → Deputy Commissioner → Divisional Commissioner.
Revenue records (khasra, jamabandi, mutation registers) in J&K have traditionally been maintained in Urdu. Removing the Urdu requirement from Naib Tehsildar recruitment, without simultaneously transitioning the records system, could create practical governance challenges.
JKSSB (Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board) conducts competitive examinations for recruitment to the revenue service and other administrative posts.

Connection to this news: The Naib Tehsildar is the frontline revenue official. The language policy debate — whether the post requires Urdu proficiency given the historical language of revenue records — sits at the intersection of administrative efficiency and linguistic rights.

Key Facts & Data

Urdu has been the official language of J&K for over a century — predating independence.
The J&K Official Languages Act 2020 added Dogri, Kashmiri, Hindi, and English alongside Urdu, creating five official languages for the Union Territory.
All five languages are recognised by the State: Kashmiri, Urdu (8th Schedule from 1950), Dogri (8th Schedule from 2003, 92nd Amendment), Hindi (8th Schedule), and English (not in 8th Schedule).
The J&K Reorganization Act 2019 bifurcated J&K into two Union Territories effective October 31, 2019.
The former J&K Constitution's Urdu-only official language provision ceased to apply post-reorganization.
In June 2025, the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) struck down Urdu as a compulsory requirement in the JKSSB Naib Tehsildar exam.
The draft revenue service recruitment rules expunge the Urdu compulsion for Naib Tehsildar posts.
Approximately 60% of JKSSB applicants were estimated to be non-Urdu-literate (primarily from Jammu region).
Article 345 of the Constitution empowers state legislatures (and Parliament for Union Territories) to adopt official languages.
Article 347 allows the President to recognise a language if demanded by a substantial proportion of a state's population.
The 8th Schedule currently lists 22 languages; Dogri was the most recent addition from J&K (2003).

UPSC Angle

Prelims: J&K Official Languages Act 2020 (five languages), 8th Schedule languages from J&K (Kashmiri, Urdu, Dogri), Article 345, 92nd Constitutional Amendment (Dogri added to 8th Schedule), J&K Reorganization Act 2019 effective date (October 31, 2019).
Mains GS1: "Language is both a medium of governance and a marker of cultural identity." Examine the language controversy in J&K in light of India's constitutional framework on official languages.
Mains GS2: Discuss the constitutional provisions relating to official language policy in India (Articles 343–351). How has J&K's reorganization changed the language policy framework in the region?
Mains GS2: What are the tensions between administrative efficiency and linguistic diversity in the context of revenue administration in J&K?
Essay potential: "Language and identity: The unfinished business of India's linguistic states."