Candidates await conduct of technical exams in August

As per the schedule, the technical exams will be conducted twice a year with one in February and another during August. However, due to COVID-19 pandemic and series of lockdown measures, these exams could not be conducted in August 2020 and February 2021.

Academicians say that students who were unable to pursue higher studies hailing from economically poor family background, get trained in the commerce institutes to get clerical posts either through Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) or also try for the computer and data entry operator jobs in private organisations.

At present there are about 3,500 commerce institutions, including about 300 in Chennai, were functioning across the state imparting training on typewriting, computer, and shorthand skills besides commerce short-term courses. A senior official from DOTE, seeking anonymity, said that a proposal has already been sent to the state government to look into the possibilities of conducting technical tests, conducted by commercial institutes, this August.

“The authorities were in the process of consulting with the health experts to look into the possibilities of conducting technical exams following safety measures,” he said adding “therefore, a decision would be taken in this regard in a couple of weeks’ time.” Tamil Nadu Typewriting Computer Institutes Association (TNTCIA) president L Senthil claimed that nearly the registered 1.75 lakh students to appear for technical exams had lost more than a year seniority in getting jobs due to the pandemic situation.

He also said that the government should allow the commerce institutes to be opened well before the exam dates since students could practice both typewriting and shorthand to perform well in the tests. Pointing out that there are thousands of vacancies in the state services, especially in the Personnel Administration Department, he said students would get extra marks in TNPSC group IV exams if they even pass junior level typing exams. Echoing similar views of Senthil, SR Sivasubramaniam, president of Stenographer’s Guild, said that it was mandatory for the persons who apply for personal assistant post even in private firms, to learn shorthand.