The Supreme Court refused to entertain a petition challenging the Telangana government's decision to make proficiency in Telugu mandatory for judicial appointments in the state. The Court upheld the policy, emphasising that the inclusion of Telugu in the Telangana Judicial (Service and Cadre) Rules, 2023, does not constitute exclusion of Urdu, but rather an additional requirement for aspiring judges to be proficient in Telugu.
The petition was filed by Mohd Shujath Hussain, who had previously approached the Telangana High Court with his contention that the state rules unjustly excluded Urdu as a language option for judicial service candidates. Hussain argued that he had studied entirely in Urdu and believed that Urdu, as the second official language under the Telangana Official Languages Act of 1966, should be included as a requirement for judicial appointments. Furthermore, he pointed out that Urdu is an integral part of the cultural heritage of Telangana.
However, the Telangana High Court had previously rejected his plea, noting that the state's decision to mandate proficiency in Telugu was a policy decision, driven by the fact that Telugu is the most widely spoken language in the state. The rules, which came into effect in June 2023, also stipulate a translation component from English to Telugu and vice versa in the judicial examination.
The Apex Court, upon reviewing the matter, dismissed the petition and upheld the High Court's decision. The Court remarked, "Not excluded. (Rule) only states that Telugu is also needed. Sorry. cannot entertain," reaffirming the state's right to determine the language requirements for judicial service.
The Supreme Court's decision closes the matter, reinforcing that policy decisions regarding language proficiency in judicial appointments fall within the discretion of the state government.
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