SC junks plea against Telangana rule mandating proficiency in Telugu for civil judge post
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a plea challenging an order upholding a 2023 rule mandating proficiency in Telugu language to qualify for the civil judge's post in Telangana.
A bench of Justices B R Gavai and Augustine George Masih told the petitioner's counsel, "It (rule) only says you need to know Telugu."
The petitioner, a practising advocate, applied for the post of civil judge pursuant to a April 2024 notification.
Before the high court, he challenged the constitutionality of Rules 5.3 and 7(i) of the Telangana State Judicial (Service and Cadre) Rules, 2023 over the requirement of the language.
The petitioner also sought a direction to provide the option of being proficient either in Telugu or Urdu as a qualification for being a civil judge aside from providing the option of translating from English to Telugu or Urdu and vice versa in written examination conducted under the 2023 Rules.
Before the top court bench, the petitioner's counsel said 15 per cent population in Telangana was Urdu speaking.
The counsel said his client cleared the qualifying examination.
The bench, however, refused to examine the plea and dismissed it.
In the Telangana High Court, the petitioner's counsel argued since Urdu was given the status of second official language in the state, it was arbitrary and unjust that an option of being conversant with Urdu or Telugu in the rules for recruitment for civil judges was not provided.
"This is trite that it is in the province of the employer to decide about the conditions of service, eligibility and qualification etc. Employer is the best judge to decide about these aspects. The scope of judicial review on these aspects is very limited," the high court said in its order of November last year.
It cannot be said that the provision of recruitment rules called in question were arbitrary, discriminatory or violative of Article 14 of the Constitution, the high court added.
While dismissing the plea, the high court said since the decision of the authorities was in the province of "policy decision" for betterment of judicial administration, it couldn't be struck down only because another view was possible.
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Bengal: On way to PM's rally, 3 mowed down by train amid dense fog
Kolkata (PTI): Three persons died and three others were injured after being hit by a train amid dense fog on Saturday, while travelling to attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally at Taherpur in West Bengal's Nadia district, a senior official said.
The incident occurred between Taherpur and Badkulla railway stations under the Sealdah-Krishnanagar section of Eastern Railway, he said.
Modi, whose helicopter could not land at Taherpur due to dense fog and low visibility, condoled the death of the “BJP workers” in his virtual address from Kolkata airport.
“I have come to know that some BJP workers, while travelling to the rally, lost their lives in a rail accident. My condolences are with the families of those who have lost their loved ones, and I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured,” Modi said.
The Eastern Railway official told PTI that the incident occurred in the morning when these people, who were travelling by a bus, had stopped the vehicle and walked to the railway tracks to answer nature's call.
"While three persons died on the spot, two others with injuries were admitted to a local hospital," he said.
Another person with minor injuries was released after having been administered first aid, the official said.
The deceased have been identified as Ramprasad Ghosh (74), Shaktipada Sutradhar (55) and Gopinath Das (38).
Meanwhile, Mahua Moitra, Trinamool Congress MP from Krishnanagar constituency in Nadia district, alleged that the BJP ignored the incident and went ahead with the rally.
"Terrible tragedy hushed up at altar of @narendramodi ego. @BJP4India supporters brought from far Murshidabad for PM rally in Ranaghat today," she said in a post on X.
"4 went to answer nature's call and were killed by 31814 down local train near Taherpur. BJP ignored, blacked out & went ahead with rally," Moitra claimed.
Reacting to her remarks, the West Bengal BJP, in a post on X, asserted that the TMC "has always been adept at milking tragedies", and was being "disrespectful to the unfortunate victims of this tragedy".
The TMC alleged that BJP leaders have not shown "neither concern nor compassion" over the mishap.
"The loss of three lives in Taherpur should have united everyone in grief. But @BJP4India leaders showed neither concern nor compassion," it said in another post on X.
"At this painful moment, Smt @MamataOfficial and Shri @abhishekaitc put humanity above party lines and stood beside the families of the deceased," the party said.
TMC’s on-ground leaders promptly reached out to the grieving family members, ensuring them of help and assistance, it said.
"While Delhi’s rulers chase Bengal with arrogance, our leadership chose empathy. This is the difference between politics of power and politics of people!" the TMC added.
