DMK chief M Karunanidhi on Monday demanded that the Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) be conducted in Tamil, apart from English and Hindi, so that aspirants from Tamil Nadu will face a level playing field.
In a letter written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Karunanidhi observed that the questions for CSAT were given in Hindi and English. This gave an edge to aspirants from the Hindi-speaking states, he said.
CSAT, introduced by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in 2010, has put Civil Service aspirants from the State on the backfoot. “The present system stands to violate Article 14 of the Constitution, that is Right to Equality, which is a fundamental of right every citizen,” he said.
“Of 910 candidates selected from all parts of India in 2011, only 68 are from Tamil Nadu. In the previous year, out of the total 980 candidates, 122 were from Tamil Nadu. Thus, the new system has affected the overall results from Tamil Nadu and placed students from the state at a clear disadvantage,” he said.
Karunanidhi apprehended that the results of candidates form the State were likely to dip further if the present system of setting questions in Hindi and English continued.
Observing that the objective of the UPSC exam is to test and select the best and brightest candidates, Karunanidhi said that the purpose would not be diluted if questions were given in Tamil as well, creating a level playing field.
The DMK patriarch also noted in his letter to the PM that the Railway Board was conducting tests in Tamil.