Chandigarh, March 13, 2013: The Punjabi Cultural Council has opposed
the scrapping of regional language paper in the Union Public Service
Commission examination and shoot off a letter to Prime Minister and Union Human Resources Minister to personally intervene into the matter.
In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the Punjabi Cultural Council Chairman Jaswant Singh Chhapa and President Harjeet Singh Grewal have sought immediate withdrawal of the UPSC's new notification, terming it as a "big blow" to rural aspirants. They said that regional languages cannot be ignored and this will lead to an "unhealthy and unequal competition" among rural and urban students.
They said the UPSC had proposed an aptitude and English papers instead of regional language paper in the exams. The notification, however, would mar chances for all Indian as well as some foreign language students who had the civil services in mind when they decided to study languages.
They added that according to it, only when there is a minimum number of 25 candidates qualified in a particular language including Punjabi, will they be permitted to write their answers in that language. In the main examinations, candidates can write answers only in the language which was their medium in the Degree Courses.
The Council said that this "prescription" will definitely reduce the number of candidates opting to write in regional languages.
"This has come as a severe blow to rural aspirants studying in government schools", the Council added.
The Punjabi Cultural Council said, "The regional languages are important, cannot be ignored. These restrictions, which bar rural aspirants in the Civil Services (Main) Examinations, will open up broad gateway to only urban aspirants who study in Hindi or English medium," they added.
The Punjabi Cultural Council has appealed to the members of parliament
from different states to oppose the new notification regarding scrapping of regional language paper in the UPSC examination.