The Jammu and Kashmir administration's decision to remove Urdu as a mandatory qualification for revenue services in the newly amended draft recruitment rules has ignited a political controversy in the Union Territory. The move comes nearly a year after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) protested and sought the revocation of a government order that made Urdu a compulsory subject for the naib tehsildar recruitment exam in J&K.
Political Reactions
The People's Democratic Party (PDP) has termed the decision a deliberate attempt to sideline and erase Urdu from the region's administrative framework. PDP president Mehbooba Mufti stated that Urdu has been the backbone of revenue records, land documentation, and official communication in the UT for generations. She argued that diluting its role is culturally insensitive and administratively unsound, as it will create practical challenges in handling existing records and weaken governance continuity. The PDP views this as part of a broader pattern of undermining J&K's linguistic and cultural identity.
In contrast, the BJP hailed the move as a course correction. BJP general secretary Ashok Koul clarified that Urdu has not been removed entirely but only as the sole mandatory language for qualification. Since J&K has five official languages, candidates should have knowledge of any one to qualify, and land records should be made available in all official languages.
Background of the Controversy
The row erupted after the revenue department issued a draft of the Jammu and Kashmir Revenue Service Recruitment Rules for non-gazetted posts on April 10, inviting objections within 15 days. According to the draft, the minimum qualification for direct recruitment is now graduation from any university, whereas earlier, knowledge of Urdu was a necessary criterion alongside graduation.
The National Conference has not yet commented on the issue.
Historical Context of Urdu in J&K
Urdu has a long association with Jammu and Kashmir. In 1889, Maharaja Pratap Singh, the third ruler of the Dogra dynasty, replaced Persian with Urdu as the court language. After 1947, the Constituent Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir recognized Urdu as a link language of the erstwhile state, which included Ladakh, and retained it as an official language.
Over time, English gradually replaced Urdu in official communication, particularly after the extension of central services to the region in 1962. As IAS and IPS officers were posted in J&K, English became the preferred administrative language.
This arrangement remained until September 2, 2020, when the Union Cabinet approved the Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Bill, 2020, declaring Urdu, Hindi, Kashmiri, Dogri, and English as official languages of the region. The bill was passed by voice vote in Rajya Sabha, ending Urdu's 131-year status as the sole official language. Experts note that J&K is the only region in India with five official languages in use.
