No Move to Drop Urdu from Tehsildar Examination, Says CM’s Advisor | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: Senior leader of Jammu and Kashmir National Conference and Chief Minister’s Advisor, Nasir Aslam Wani, on Tuesday dismissed claims regarding the removal of Urdu from the Tehsildar examination syllabus, asserting that no such decision has been taken by the government.

Responding to remarks by PDP leader Iltija Mufti, Wani told reporters here that the concerned department had merely issued a notification inviting public objections on the subject, describing it as part of a democratic process to gather feedback before any final decision.

Wani, who was flanked by Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary, underlined the continued importance of Urdu in revenue administration. “The language remains integral to official functioning, particularly for revenue officers who are required to read and interpret documents in Urdu,” he added.

Wani clarified that no notification has been issued to remove Urdu from the syllabus or recruitment process and challenged critics to produce any such document if it exists. “Such claims only create confusion among the public,” he said.

Wani maintained that while opposition parties have the right to question the government, they should refrain from misleading people. He reiterated the government’s commitment to retaining Urdu within the administrative system.

Questioning the urgency of the issue being raised, Wani said attempts to turn it into a controversy were unwarranted and urged the media to present the government’s position while reporting.

He added that the government, still early in its tenure, requires time to implement its agenda and said its performance would ultimately be judged by the people during elections.

Referring to past decisions, Wani remarked that earlier approaches had long-term implications for the region and urged opposition leaders to adopt a more constructive stance while raising public issues.

Earlier in the day PDP leader Iltija Mufti staged a sit-in protest along with party workers in Srinagar against the government’s decision to remove Urdu as a mandatory qualification for the Tehsildar examination and revenue services recruitment rules.

Addressing media persons during the protest, Iltija Mufti, as strongly criticised the National Conference (NC)-led government, accusing it of attacking language, identity and cultural heritage by removing Urdu from official recruitment criteria.

She said Urdu is deeply embedded in the region’s social and administrative framework and cannot be separated from its cultural existence.

“We have come here because Urdu is being removed. The National Conference has attacked Urdu language. Urdu is a part of our faith and culture. Urdu is a part of our civilisation,” she said.

She alleged that the ruling party was failing on governance and public representation, claiming that elected representatives were not addressing ground issues.

Iltija Mufti said Urdu serves as a unifying language across diverse communities in Jammu and Kashmir, including Kashmiri, Gujri, Pahari and Punjabi speakers and warned that removing it from administrative requirements would weaken institutional continuity and cultural cohesion.

She alleged that the government’s decision aligns with broader political designs and demanded immediate rollback of the order. (KNO)