In an appeal challenging Karnataka government's recruitment notification for 15,000 school teachers while allegedly excludes Urdu-medium and other linguistic-minority teaching posts, the State has told the High Court that the last date for filing applications under the present notification would be extended and that it is considering issuing a fresh notification to include Urdu and Hindi teacher vacancies too. [2026 LiveLaw (Kar) 380]

The Division Bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna and Justice Hema Kulkarni has taken the submission on record, before setting aside a single judge bench order which relegated the dispute to the Karnataka State Administrative Tribunal.

The court agreed to remit the matter back to the single judge bench after the petitioners/appellants informed the court that they would be pressing only the second prayer in the original petition, seeking a mandamus directing the State to notify vacancies for Urdu and other linguistic-minority teachers.

Senior Advocate Prashanth Bhushan, along with Advocate Nisha Tiwari, submitted that the appellants would not pursue the first prayer, which is seeking a direction to quash the recruitment notification itself.

“…The first prayer concerns the recruitment notification. With the withdrawal of the first prayer, the challenge to the recruitment notification does not subsist. In that light, all other prayers can be agitated before the Single Judge Bench, since a mandamus is sought to notify the vacancies…. Learned Additional Advocate General, on instructions, submits that the last date for filing applications under the present notification would also be extended, and the Government is considering issuing a notification to include Urdu and Marathi vacancies. The said submission is placed on record…”, the court accordingly noted.

Hence, the appeal was disposed of, and the single judge's relegation to KSAT was set aside. The matter has now been restored to the single judge for fresh consideration on merits.

The Division Bench further remarked:

“…We deem it appropriate to dispose of the subject appeal and remit the matter back to the Single Judge to consider the issue on its merits. All developments that take place from today should be placed before the Single Judge. The order of the Single Judge is set aside. The matter is remitted back. …All contentions are kept open…”

The appeal was filed by a group of Urdu and Hindi medium teacher aspirants, a registered society working for linguistic minority rights and a minor student, stating that the single judge mechanically applied the 'alternative remedy rule' without considering the distinct constitutional questions raised regarding linguistic minority rights under Articles 14, 21A, 29(1) and 350A of the Constitution. Such violation of constitutional rights cannot be agitated before KSAT, the appeal adds.

The original writ petition challenged the State's recruitment notification for 15,000 school teachers on the ground that it excluded Urdu-medium and other linguistic-minority teaching posts, despite an alleged shortage of Urdu-proficient teachers, in violation of the constitutional protections under Articles 14, 21A, 29(1) and 350A.

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

Case No: WA 100796/2026

Citation: 2026 LiveLaw (Kar) 380