Submit clear reply for cancelling examination, postal dept told

Observing that a query raised on the status of Tamil as an examination medium failed to be given a proper reply to, the HC on Tuesday directed the Department of Posts to file a detailed affidavit with supporting documents on the “administrative reasons” that had led to the cancellation of the notification pertaining to the competitive examination for the post of postal assistant/sorting assistant.

A division bench comprising Justice S Manikumar and Justice Subramonium Prasad, on going through the reply filed by the Assistant Director (Recruitment), Office of the Chief Postmaster General, on Tuesday observed that the reply failed to answer the query raised during the previous hearing as to whether Tamil would also be included as a language in the examination for recruitment in the Postal department.

Based on this, the bench adjourned the case to August 5 by when the administrative reasons behind the cancellation of the exam notification must be explained explicitly.

The Assistant Director (Recruitment) of the Postal department in the reply had submitted that the competitive examination limited to Gramin Dak Sewaks (GDS) for the post of postal assistant/sorting assistant for unfilled vacancies is an internal examination which has been conducted among GDS staff already working in the department. The previous examinations for promotion to the above post was also conducted in Hindi and English only.

The revision of syllabus and pattern of examination to be conducted by the Department of Posts for various examinations is to be considered by the competent authority, the reply stated. It may be noted that the bench had admitted the plea moved by CVMP Ezhilarasan, student wing secretary in the DMK, as a public interest litigation on the basis that the question raised in the petition deals with the decision of the Department of Posts in not prescribing question papers in local languages, where Hindi/English is not spoken.

“Taking note of the inconvenience, which is likely to be caused for others while turning to be advantageous for those candidates who taken up the examination from the States, where Hindi/English is spoken as local language, the instant petition filed as a public interest litigation requires to be entertained,” the bench said.

Senior counsel P Wilson, appearing for the petitioner, had submitted that though the examination conducted for filling up the vacancies is stated to be cancelled, there was no official communication yet. 

He also sought for a direction to issue appropriate orders as to whether the earlier system as per the communication dated May 10, 2019 would be restored insofar as Paper-I is concerned, wherein the language of question paper would be in Hindi and English as well as in local language as per the provisions of recruitment rules.