CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government on Friday passed the Tamil Nadu Government Servants (Conditions of Service) Amendment Bill, 2023, for making Tamil language papers compulsory in competitive examinations for recruitment to government services.
The statement of objects and reasons for the Bill to amend the Tamil Nadu Government Servants (Conditions of Service) Act, 2016, said: “As per Section 21 of this Act, no person shall be eligible for appointment to any service by direct recruitment unless he has adequate knowledge of the official language of the State, that is Tamil.”
The Bill, however, allows candidates who do not possess adequate knowledge of Tamil at the time of application to apply, if otherwise qualified, and get appointed, provided that they should pass a “second class language test” in Tamil in two years from the date of their appointment, failing which they would be discharged from service.
The Bill inserted Section (21-A) after Section 21 which read: “Notwithstanding anything contained in Section 21, on and from the 1st day of December 2021, any person who applies for recruitment to any post in any service by direct recruitment shall pass the Tamil language paper in the examination conducted for the recruitment with not less than forty per cent marks (sic).” T Velmurugan (DMK), however, wanted the Bill to be re-examined to ensure that only native Tamils were recruited into government service.
VCK member J Mohamed Shanavas backed Velmurugan and demanded that only Tamils should be allowed to take the examination. The Bill was later adopted by a voice vote.