The Orissa High Court has ruled that candidates for the post of sarpanch must be able to both read and write Odia, upholding the disqualification of Maheshwar Jena from Bishnupur gram panchayat on literacy grounds and clearing the way for a fresh election.

According to reports in The Times of India, the judgment ruled that functional literacy in the State’s official language is an essential requirement imposed by law and cannot be bypassed.

HC Clarifies Odia Literacy Standard

The bench stated that a person is ineligible to contest if unable to read Odia, adding that the inability to write Odia also attracts disqualification. It noted that “mere ability in reading Odia is not sufficient.”

The bench also observed that the statutory framework anticipates reading and writing capacity for t

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