Thiruvananthapuram, 14 Oct (H.S.):The Keralam government has approved conducting the LLB entrance examination in Malayalam and English from the next academic year, enabling aspiring law students to access questions in their mother tongue.

The decision follows instructions from Higher Education Minister Roji M. John to make entrance examination questions available in Malayalam alongside English. It responds to demands from students and reflects the government’s mother tongue policy.

A representation submitted by the Malayalam Aikya Vedi prompted the initiative. The government decided to introduce the bilingual format after addressing technical obstacles associated with providing the examination in Malayalam.

The proposed arrangements focus on ensuring accurate translation while preserving the confidentiality of the examination. The government will consider preparing a panel of experts with legal knowledge to translate and scrutinise questions, along with using modern software systems to support the process.

These measures are intended to ensure that the Malayalam version conveys legal concepts accurately and that the examination is conducted without compromising its standards or security.

The examination prospectus will also include a provision specifying that the English question will be treated as authoritative if any difference in meaning or ambiguity arises in the Malayalam translation.

This clarification will establish a common reference for resolving discrepancies between the two versions of the question paper.

John said the move was aimed at making the entrance examination more student-friendly while maintaining its quality. Providing questions in both languages would help students seeking admission to law courses, particularly those more comfortable reading and understanding Malayalam.

For Malayalam-speaking candidates aspiring to pursue legal education, the change is expected to ease the difficulty of understanding entrance questions solely in English.

The bilingual format will give candidates access to the same questions in both languages, with the English version serving as the final reference wherever clarification is required under the prospectus.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman