A job advertisement posted on LinkedIn by a Noida-based consulting firm has sparked outrage over its discriminatory clause, which explicitly states that candidates from south India are not eligible for the role.

Job posting, seeking candidates Data Analyst The position in Noida outlined responsibilities such as collaborating with stakeholders, working with cross-functional teams and delivering high-quality data solutions. It also required applicants to have more than four years of relevant experience.

However, the list sparked controversy with its closing statement: "South Indian candidates are not eligible for this post."

Sharing a screenshot of the post, an X (formerly Twitter) user captioned it, "South Indians are not allowed to apply for a job."

The job offer has drawn widespread criticism, with many calling it outright discriminatory and highlighting the problem of regional bias in hiring practices.

One user disapproved of the list, saying: "Disgusting. Report it."

Another user pointed out that the exclusion may have been related to the Hindi proficiency requirement, which was listed as a key qualification for the role. He wrote, "Brother's job requires people to communicate in Hindi and write in Hindi. That's the reason why they don't accept South Indian candidates. But still, I think they should avoid the last statement: There may be South Indians who speak and write very good Hindi."

Several other users pointed out that many South Indians, especially those from Kerala, know Hindi well because of their education. One user stated: "That is not the way. To be honest no South Indian will be accepted. I have seen many people, especially from Kerala, who were good at writing in Hindi (I think their academics have Hindi as their language). Also, some of them could speak enough of them to communicate and they will be able to survive about other states.

Another user questioned the fairness of the situation, saying: "Is this also fair? Most of our people go to other states or countries for work, but we object when we ask for regional reservations."