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Title: Regarding the age limit for UPSC’s Civil Services exams and making Hindi compulsory for selection of staff in Kendriya Vidyalayas.
* SHRI P. MOHAN (MADURAI): Hon. Speaker Sir, I would like to express my serious concern about the attempts to deprive the youth especially the candidates hailing from SC, ST, OBC communities and women of their job opportunities. This is a very serious issue. One is based on the recommendations made by Alagh Committee and Hota Committee to reduce the upper age limit to 25, 26 for those who appear for civil service examinations aspiring for IAS and IPS posts. Similarly, in the teaching staff selection for Kendriya Vidyalaya Schools knowledge of Hindi has been made an essential qualification depriving the chances of candidates from non-Hindi speaking States.
Reducing the upper age limit for IAS, IPS examinations is not only like withdrawing the concessions but like taking away their rights. It is only for the past 10 years there is an increase in the number of candidates appearing for the civil services examinations. Reducing the upper age limit will be curtailing their opportunities.
Hon. Minister of State for Personnel Shri Suresh Pachauri in his written reply on 2nd March 2005 has stated that such recommendations are there and no decision has been taken. It is not enough to merely say that no decision has been taken. Instead, Union Government must ban any move to reduce the upper age limit for civil services examinations. Because, reducing age limit now in the midway will be against the principle of social justice. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s assurance to the people of non-Hindi speaking people on the floor of this House that as long as they wish Hindi will not be made compulsory must be kept intact. So far, knowledge of Hindi was only a ‘desirable’ qualification in the selection of Teachers in Kendriya Vidyalaya schools. Employment advertisements used to be given that way. But ‘bilingual competence’ is insisted upon in the latest job
* Translation of Speech originally delivered in Tamil.
advertisements as an essential qualification. This in a way takes away the job opportunities in Kendriya Vidyalayas available to youth from non-Hindi speaking States like Tamil Nadu. I would like to point out that Hindi is being sought to be imposed quite against the promise given by Jawaharlal Nehru that Hindi will not be imposed. He gave that assurance when there was a strong opposition from States like Tamil Nadu. We cannot ignore the agitation in Tamil Nadu against the imposition of Hindi on non-Hindi speaking people. Hence I urge upon the Union Government to ban any move to reduce the upper age limit for appearing in civil services examinations. Similarly, there must not be any indirect imposition of Hindi on candidates from non-Hindi speaking States.
SHRI A.K.S. VIJAYAN (NAGAPATTINAM): Sir, I associate myself with what the hon. Member has stated.
