Challenging the Karnataka Government's recruitment notification for filling 15,000 teachers' posts, which allegedly excludes Urdu-medium and other linguistic-minority teaching posts, a plea has been filed before the Dharwad Bench of the Karnataka High Court.

The petition, filed by Urdu teachers and other interested parties, including the Equal Rights Karnataka society, is likely to be heard by Justice Anant Ramanath Hegde on August 24. A parent of a student studying at a Government Urdu Primary School has also joined the petitioners, stating that two Urdu-medium teaching posts in the school have remained vacant for several years.

The petitioners contend that despite the existence of 4,236 Urdu-medium schools across Karnataka—comprising 3,934 government schools and 302 aided schools—and the documented shortage of teachers proficient in Urdu, the August 11, 2026 recruitment notification does not provide for even a single Urdu-medium teaching post.

It is further argued that the State's own data shows around 45,179 vacancies in government primary schools and 13,045 vacancies in government high schools, while 43,526 teachers are engaged on a guest-teacher basis. Despite this, the petitioners allege, the State has arbitrarily excluded Urdu-medium teachers from the recruitment exercise.

According to the petition, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, in its 2024 Performance Audit of the functioning of primary institutions in Karnataka, recorded that a test-check of Urdu-medium schools in eight districts revealed that 38 schools did not have teachers proficient in Urdu. Teachers qualified for the Kannada medium had allegedly been deployed in their place.

The petitioners contend that the exclusion violates Articles 14, 21A, 29(1) and 350A of the Constitution. They argue that the exclusion is arbitrary and discriminatory, affects children's right to education and the right of linguistic minorities to preserve their distinct language, and is contrary to the State's obligation to provide adequate facilities for instruction in the mother tongue at the primary stage.

The plea also points out that the State established the Directorate of Urdu and Other Linguistic Minority Schools in 1987, recognising Urdu-medium and other linguistic-minority education as a distinct component of Karnataka's school education system.

The petitioners further highlight that Urdu-medium teachers were included in the previous recruitment exercise conducted in 2022. According to them, there has been no disclosed change in policy or circumstances to justify their complete exclusion from the present recruitment.

The petition further relies on the Supreme Court's recent judgment in Padam Mehta v. State of Rajasthan (2026). According to this ruling, the child's right to choose the medium of instruction at the primary school stage is a Fundamental Right under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution.

Additionally, the petitioners cite Neeraj Kumar Pandey & Another v. State of U.P. [2017] , where the Supreme Court upheld the setting aside of the Uttar Pradesh Government's oral instructions for stopping the recruitment process for Urdu teachers.

The petition has been filed through advocates Zainul Abideen, Akram Uppin and Khalil ur Rehman. Senior Advocate Gayatri Singh is slated to appear for the petitioners.

The petitioners have sought quashing of the August recruitment notification and a declaration that the exclusion of Urdu-medium and other linguistic-minority teachers is arbitrary and violative of constitutional provisions.

They have also sought directions to include Urdu and other linguistic-minority medium teacher posts in the recruitment process and to furnish a report on medium-wise vacancies across the State.

As interim relief, the petitioners have sought a stay on the recruitment notification or, alternatively, a direction restraining the respondents from finalising the recruitment process without considering Urdu-medium and other linguistic-minority vacancies.

A specific interim prayer has also been made to preserve the eligibility of petitioner Asma, an Urdu-qualified teacher, with reference to the maximum age applicable on the date of filing of the petition.

Case Title: Asma Gori (Mogare) v. State of Karnataka & Ors.