The Supreme Court, on April 28, dismissed a petition challenging the Telangana High Court’s decision that upheld a State rule and government notification. The rule made proficiency in the Telugu language a necessary qualification for candidates seeking appointment as Civil Judges in Telangana.
The petitioner, Mohd Shujath Hussain, had approached the Supreme Court, arguing that the Telangana Judicial (Service and Cadre) Rules, 2023, did not consider proficiency in Urdu. He submitted that Urdu was recognized as the second official language of Telangana in 2017 and that the test should have given candidates the option to choose Urdu.
A Bench comprising Justices B.R. Gavai and A.G. Masih refused to interfere with the High Court's judgment. They affirmed the requirement of Telugu language proficiency for candidates applying for judicial posts in Telangana.
"We see no reason to interfere with the High Court’s judgment affirming Telugu language proficiency for Civil Judge posts," the Supreme Court stated.
The petitioner also submitted that he had studied in the Urdu medium and that the written examination was unfair as it did not offer an Urdu option. He pointed out that a portion of the written test, carrying 30 marks, required candidates to translate Telugu text into English.
"In 2017, Urdu was recognized as the second official language in Telangana," the petitioner highlighted before the Court.
The Supreme Court, however, accepted the argument that Telugu language proficiency is essential for the functioning of the judiciary and administration in the State.
Case : Mohd. Shujath Hussain vs State of Telangana and others | Diary No. 15801-2025
"Administrative convenience and effective functioning of the judiciary are legitimate concerns when setting language qualifications," the Court observed.