Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin writes to Amit Shah opposing non-inclusion of Tamil in CRPF recruitment test

The chief minister told Shah in the letter that the Centre’s notification that the exam can be written in English and Hindi makes the aspirants from Tamil Nadu unable to attempt the test in their mother tongue in their own “native state.”

‘Only benefits Hindi-speaking candidates’

Further, 25 out of the 100 marks have been allotted for “basic comprehension in Hindi” which would only benefit the Hindi-speaking candidates.

“To put it simply, this CRPF notification is against the interests of those applying from Tamil Nadu. This is not only unilateral but amounts to being discriminatory,” the release quoted the chief minister as telling Shah.

This will amount to preventing aspirants from taking up a government job, Stalin said and added the notification was against the aspirants’ Constitutional right.

Stalin sought the immediate intervention of Shah to enable non-Hindi-speaking youngsters to take the test by allowing regional languages, including Tamil in the exam process.

மத்திய பின்னிருப்புக் காவல் படையில் (CRPF) ஆட்சேர்க்கைக்கான அறிவிக்கை தொடர்பாக மாண்புமிகு ஒன்றிய அமைச்சர் திரு. @AmitShah அவர்களுக்கு மாண்புமிகு முதலமைச்சர் @mkstalin அவர்கள் கடிதம் எழுதியுள்ளார். pic.twitter.com/GlyiJFwcEV

— CMOTamilNadu (@CMOTamilnadu) April 9, 2023

Related: CRPF recruitment announcement sparks debate on Hindi imposition

A serious disadvantage to non-Hindi speakers: KTR

Telangana IT and Urban Affairs Minister KT Rama Rao on Friday wrote to Amit Shah asking him to include Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam and other official languages in the CRPF recruitment notification so that youth studying in regional languages get equal opportunities without any discrimination.

As per the BRS leader, lakhs of government job aspirants who are not acquainted with Hindi or English will face the issue as the notification says that the Computer Based Test (CBT) will be conducted in English and Hindi only.

“Competitive exams are being held only in English and Hindi, which is a serious disadvantage to students who did not study in English medium or are not from Hindi-speaking States,” KTR pointed out.

While noting that the National Recruitment Agency decided to facilitate a Common Eligibility Test (NRA-CET) to replace multiple examinations and conduct them in the 12 official Indian languages, KTR said: “However, it’s not being implemented properly, including in the CRPF recruitment notification.”

The protests against the imposition of Hindi in non-Hindi speaking states also surfaced in October last year when the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) issued its recruitment notification for the posts of constables in the paramilitary forces, with exams only in English and Hindi.

This hurts lakhs of aspirants whose first language is not Hindi and provides an undue advantage to those who are well-versed in that language.

(With PTI inputs)