Include Tamil in recruitment test for CRPF, CM Stalin urges Shah

CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Sunday wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah demanding amending of the notification issued by the Central Reserve Police (CRPF) to hold examinations to fill vacancies in English and Hindi. Opposing the non-inclusion of Tamil in the computer test, he termed the move “arbitrary” and “discriminatory” toward aspirants of non-Hindi speaking states, particularly Tamil Nadu.

Urging the Union minister to conduct the Computer Based Test (CBT) in Tamil and other regional languages, CM Stalin said the aspirants from non-Hindi speaking states should be able to attempt the test in their mother tongue in their native State and get an equal opportunity to serve the paramilitary force.

CM Stalin said though the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution recognises Tamil and other state languages as official languages, it’s shocking that CBT for the above open competition examination would be held only in English and Hindi.

As per the notification, of the 9,212 vacancies in the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), 579 had to be filled from Tamil Nadu, the exam for which is scheduled to be held in 12 centres in the State.

“Another hidden aspect of the notification is that 25 out of the 100 marks have been allotted for basic comprehension in Hindi, which would only benefit the Hindi-speaking candidates. In a nutshell, this recruitment notification of the CRPF jeopardises the interests of candidates from Tamil Nadu,” the CM said in the letter.

A dispassionate reading of the notification reveals that the classification has been done intentionally to discriminate against the candidates from the State, besides depriving their opportunity from taking up a government job, the CM said.

The notification is “offending the Constitutional rights” of the aspirants, who wish to appear for this examination and “denies equality of opportunity” in public employment or appointment, said the Chief Minister and urged the Union Minister to immediately look into the issue and instruct the CRPF authorities to amend the notification for the recruitment and to conduct the CBT in Tamil and other regional languages.