Conduct UPSC exams in all languages: PIL in HC

CHENNAI: A litigant filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) before the Madras High Court to direct the Union government to conduct Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exams in all languages listed in the Constitution.

S Balamurugan from Madurai, who filed the PIL stated that the notification issued by UPSC in February said the candidates have the choice of answering the exam in one of the languages mentioned in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India.

However, it was not given the choice to access the exam question papers in any of the languages specified in the eighth schedule of the Constitution barring English and Hindi, contended the litigant.

The non-availability of question papers in the languages listed on the eighth schedule creates an unequal playing field by providing those who know Hindi with an unfair advantage, in reading the litigation.

It serves no purpose to permit candidates to write the Civil Services Main Examination in the regional language when the majority of candidates are eliminated at the threshold of the civil services preliminary examination, which is held in either English or Hindi, said the litigant.

Furthermore, candidates from rural backgrounds and State government-run and aided schools face greater difficulties than urban or metropolitan candidates in understanding English, read the litigation.

This results in discrimination and the denial of equal employment opportunities, which ultimately violates Articles 14, 15, 16, 19 (1) (a), and 21 of the Constitution of India, he added.

The litigation is scheduled to be listed on December 6 for a hearing.