The Supreme Court on Monday declined to entertain a petition challenging the Telangana government’s decision to mandate proficiency in Telugu for judicial appointments in the state.

A bench comprising Justices BR Gavai and Augustine George Masih dismissed the plea filed by petitioner Mohd Shujath Hussain, who argued that the Telangana Judicial (Service and Cadre) Rules, 2023, unfairly excluded Urdu. "Not excluded. (Rule) only states that Telugu is also needed. Sorry, cannot entertain," the Bench remarked.

The Telangana High Court had earlier rejected Hussain's petition, following which he approached the Supreme Court.

The 2023 Rules, effective from June last year, require candidates seeking judicial posts to be proficient in Telugu. The examination scheme includes translation tasks between English and Telugu.

Hussain contended that, having pursued his education entirely in Urdu medium, candidates should have the option to demonstrate proficiency in Urdu instead. He also emphasized that Urdu is an integral part of Telangana’s cultural identity and has been recognized as the second official language under the Telangana Official Languages Act, 1966.

However, the High Court had dismissed his plea, noting that the state’s decision to prioritize Telugu was a policy matter, based on the fact that Telugu is the most widely spoken language in Telangana.