Pune

Recently, the result of the the Maharashtra Judicial Service Examination was declared by the Maharashtra Public Service Commission, and Muslims had reason to celebrate. Of 114 candidates who qualified the coveted examinationand would be appointed as judges (magistrates), five are from the community.

The JMFC examination is considered a difficult one and lakhs of candidates prepare for it each year.

The following are Muslim candidates who have cleared the examination for entry-level jobs in the Indian judiciary:

 Tanvi Rehman Sheikh: (5th rank)

Tanvi Rehman is from Kadamwadi village in Kolhapur district. She passed the JMFC exam on the first attempt. Her father passed away in 2022. Tanvi has fulfilled her father's dream by passing the court exam.

Tanvi said, "I had a desire to become a judge since my college days. I started studying accordingly. On this journey, my family members, teachers, senior lawyers of the Kolhapur Bar Association, and the judges there guided me.

“With all this and the blessings of hard work, I have reached here today."

She has been working as an Assistant Public Defender at Kolhapur Legal Services Authority since 2023. “However, I aimed to pass this exam. This examination process is very long. It requires strong determination and continuous hard work. I had that. I took time off from work and studied. I worked very hard.”

Tanvi says, “My father wanted to see me as a judge. Though he left us, I fulfilled his dream. I am very happy about this.”

Shumaila Sadaf Sohail: (19th rank)

Shumaila Sadaf Sohail, hails from Nanded. She completed her education at an Urdu-medium school in Nanded. She was preparing for this examination for a few years. She secured 19th rank in the entire state in this examination. Her mother is a teacher and her father is a businessman.

Ashfaq Shahjehan Mulani(23rd rank)

In this court exam, Ashfaq Mulani of Mohal taluka of Solapur district secured 23rd rank in the state. Earlier, Ashfaq had cleared the UPSC exam. At that time he was posted as Assistant Director of the Serious Fraud Investigation Office in Hyderabad. He is currently working on this post. Along with this work, he worked hard and cleared this court exam.

Shirin Lala Sheikh: (32nd rank)

Sheikh Shirin Lala, originally from Ahmednagar and currently living in Pune, also cleared this exam. She credited her father and Ustaad lawyer Ganesh Sirsat for this success. Her husband works as a chartered accountant in Pune.

Uzair Ahmed Sheikh Naseer: (73rd rank)

Famous Akola lawyer Uzair Ahmed Sheikh also cleared this exam. He has handled various cases from the Murtizapur trial court to the Mumbai High Court. Uzair also completed an LLM in law and is currently working in Right to Information. His father N.N. Sheikh is a senior lawyer and has practiced law for 40 years. His mother Dr. Rizwana works as a principal.

The Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) conducts the JMFC exam for civil judges (junior level) and magistrates (first class). This exam is an important path for those who wish to work in the judicial system of Maharashtra. Through this exam, students are selected for the posts of Civil Judge (Junior Level) and Magistrate (First Class) in the state. This exam is also known as Maharashtra Adalati Khidmat Pariksha or Civil Judge (Junior Division) and Magistrate (First Class) examination.

JMFC examination also known as the Maharashtra Civil Judge (Junior Division) and Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Examination is a state-level exam for recruiting law graduates and practicing advocates into the state's lower judiciary. 

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The exam typically consists of three stages: Prelims, Mains, and a Viva-voce and is considered one of the toughest to crack.