Chennai, 16 August (H.S.) : CPM MP Su Venkatesan has strongly protested the conduct of a railway exam without a Tamil paper, terming it a direct assault on the rights of candidates. The exam in question was a departmental promotion test for junior engineers in the Southern Railway's Signal and Telecommunications wing, held on August 10. Venkatesan pointed out that the Computer-Based Test was offered only in English and Hindi, despite rules mandating trilingual question papers, including the regional language.

In a letter to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav, Venkatesan demanded that the exam be canceled and a re-exam be conducted with Tamil as one of the mediums. He cited the notification for departmental promotion quota examinations, which clearly states that the question paper must be set in three languages, including the language of the state concerned. Venkatesan emphasized that conducting the test without a Tamil version is a contravention of procedure and a denial of language rights.

The MP's protest highlights the ongoing issue of language rights and representation in government exams. Venkatesan's demand for a re-exam with Tamil as an option is seen as a step towards ensuring that candidates from Tamil Nadu are not disadvantaged due to language barriers. The issue remains to be addressed by the railway authorities, with Venkatesan's letter serving as a reminder of the importance of linguistic inclusivity.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Dr. R. B. Chaudhary