Srinagar, July 16 -- "Ours is not an attempt to exclude anyone from the department. Revenue records in Jammu and Kashmir have been in Urdu since before Independence. If we appoint officers who cannot even read these records, what will they do?" Omar said during a media interaction regarding the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) stay on the enforcement of a key provision in the Jammu & Kashmir Revenue (Subordinate) Service Recruitment Rules. The rule mandated candidates possess a graduation degree with Urdu language knowledge as an exclusive qualification for the post of Naib Tehsildar.

Omar said that officers from JKAS and IAS who lack Urdu knowledge are being given time to learn the language. "Appointing Revenue officers without Urd...