NEW DELHI: The issue of regional language aspirants having disadvantage in the Civil Services examination conducted by UPSC was raised in the Rajya Sabha and government's intervention sought in the matter.
Sharad Yadav of JD-U raised the issue during Zero Hour and said that non-Hindi Indian languages are facing a tough time as their numbers in the Civil Services were reducing with each passing year and thousands of students were sitting on a dharna outside Parliament and near his residence.
He said while Tamil students had gone down from 98 in 2008 to 14 in 2011, the number of Telugu students successful in Civil Services were reduced to 29 in 2011 from 117 in 2008. "Government should immediately act on this issue...otherwise it will be too late," he said, seeking the response of the government.
While deputy chairman P J Kurien said the minister had already given a statement in the House and there could be clarifications in the House later, Yadav said the matter requires urgent attention. Minister for Minority Affairs Najma Heptulla said the matter can be taken up when the clarifications are sought.
Earlier, Ali Ahmed Ansari (JD-U) raised the issue of atrocities on women and children of a minority community in Rajasthan's Alwar district. Ansari demanded action from the Centre to stop the "humiliation of the minority women and children at the hands of Cobra Police in the state who come with masked faces and commit such atrocities on women and children at night".
Responding to the member's claim, Heptulla said law and order is a state subject and she will apprise the Home Minister of the issue raised by the member.