HYDERABAD: In the light of World Telugu Conference, several Group-1 aspirants and unemployed youth have begun demanding that Telugu, the local language, be made compulsory in the main examination of Group-1 category posts, which are highest rank jobs in the State government service. The argument of the job seekers is that if Telugu is made mandatory for all the aspirants, the Group-1 officers would have knowledge of local language and they will be able to interact with the public in a better manner.
Several unemployed youth and Group-1 aspirants stated that choosing one local language is compulsory even in UPSC Civil Services examination. “All other states are implementing the local language in their State government examinations. The Karnataka government is giving five per cent reservations in employment to those who take examinations in Kannada language,” said G Venkata Reddy, a Group -1 aspirant. Another youth K Narender Reddy said that the TN government is giving extra five marks to those who studied in Tamil medium.
G Anil and M Naveen Goud stated that all other States too made their respective local languages compulsory in their State Public Service examinations. They said the Group-1 officers would serve people for around 30 years and hence, they need to know local language.
While welcoming the recent initiative taken by State government making Telugu compulsory for first class to intermediate examinations, the unemployed wanted government to make Telugu a compulsory paper in Group-1 Mains too. They called on Telangana Sahitya Akademi chairman Nandini Sidha Reddy here on Wednesday and submitted a memorandum. Reddy assured them that he would take up the matter with CM K Chandrasekhar Rao and see that Telugu is made a compulsory subject in Group-1 examinations.
KCR wants to bank on Telugu sentiment in 2019 polls: Congress
Joining chorus with BJP, which earlier demanded CM KCR to apologise to Telugu-speaking people for belittling ‘Telugu Thalli’ during statehood movement before conducting Telugu Maha Sabhalu, the Congress, too on Wednesday demanded the same from Rao. TPCC chief spokesperson Dasoju Sravan said the Conference was not aimed at highlighting the Telugu glory.
“The event is being organised only to highlight KCR as an ardent lover of Telugu language. By doing so, the CM wants to capture the traditional vote bank of TDP, who once supported late NT Rama Rao on the slogan of Telugu pride,” he said, while addressing media here. “The non-seriousness of the State government could be understood from the fact that the hoardings of World Telugu Conference have KCR’s designation written in English as Chief Minister and not displayed in Telugu as Mukhya Mantri,” he criticised.