JAMMU: Well-known youth leader and social activist Anirudh Sharma (Nippu) has strongly opposed the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board’s (JKSSB) decision to make Urdu a compulsory qualifying language for Naib Tehsildar recruitment. Terming the move “unjust, regressive, and exclusionary,” he appealed to the authorities to reconsider this clause in the interest of fairness and democratic representation.
Sharma questioned the rationale behind granting exclusive importance to Urdu despite the multilingual character of the Union Territory, stating, “This policy is not only discriminatory but also contrary to the spirit of inclusive governance envisioned under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.” He highlighted that under the Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Act, 2020, Hindi, English, Dogri, Kashmiri, and Urdu enjoy equal status, and hence, preference to one undermines the constitutional and legal framework laid down for linguistic equality.
“Imposing Urdu as a mandatory requirement sidelines a vast pool of competent and deserving youth, especially from regions where Urdu is neither spoken widely nor taught systematically,” he said. “This is not just about a language — it is about denial of equal opportunity, regional marginalization, and linguistic bias in a system that should ideally be merit-based.”
Anirudh Sharma also stressed that the unemployment crisis in Jammu and Kashmir demands inclusive recruitment policies, not barriers that disqualify youth on non-meritocratic grounds. “When the nation is speaking of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, such biased prerequisites contradict the very goal of empowering every citizen.”
He further warned that such policies have the potential to deepen regional imbalances, fuel alienation among aspirants, and erode public trust in the fairness of the selection process. “This clause serves no administrative advantage but only creates a sense of exclusion among thousands of educated youth in Jammu who are fully capable but do not come from an Urdu-learning background.”
Sharma called upon Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor Shri Manoj Sinha, Chief Secretary, and the Chairperson of JKSSB to intervene immediately and revise the policy to reflect equity, linguistic diversity, and constitutional values.
He also recommended that if language proficiency is required for administrative functioning, candidates should be given time and opportunity to learn it during training — rather than being disqualified beforehand. “Learning should be enabled, not enforced as a barrier.”
“Let the recruitment process be about capability and merit, not cultural or linguistic filters,” he emphasized. “We must build a future where every aspirant — whether from Rajouri, Kathua, Srinagar or Leh — has an equal platform to compete and serve.”
