Before the Civil Service Aptitude Test (CSAT) was introduced, civil service aspirants used to write the preliminary examination in one of 23 optional subjects. There was no uniformity in the selection process, and the prospects of many candidates were hit. The examination to select top bureaucrats needs a standard format and must ensure a level playing field. This is what CSAT sought to do but it is being accused of doing the opposite.
The elimination of CSAT will not be the solution, but the UPSC should take into account the fact that it does impose problems in a country of linguistic diversity. A solution would be to undo “only” English comprehension and translate it into other languages so that the aptitude of aspirants can be judged properly.
Gaurav Tripathi,Chandigarh
The controversy over CSAT is being politicised, with everyone concerned digressing from the key issue. The decision to retain CSAT should be made on the basis of whether the skills the UPSC is looking for in a civil servant are tested by it and whether it is the best way to test for those, and not on the basis of whether a certain section of students find it difficult.
Praneeth Pinjarla,New Delhi
It is difficult to imagine civil servants resorting to protests to do away with English in the preliminary examination. CSAT was introduced with the intention of attracting talent. In a country as diverse as ours with multiple languages, English can act as a bridge. Civil servants who are fluent in the language will have an advantage in communicating better and understanding national and global issues better.
K. Vinaya Kumar,Secunderabad
The ongoing protests cannot be dismissed as illogical. An IAS officer has to work in districts and speak the local language. It is ironical that a person speaking fluent English has an edge over others and is considered more knowledgeable and cultured. Yes, English is taught in every board but we all know how it is taught in the small cities, towns and villages. Translation in a CSAT paper is laughable, with a laptop being translated as godh sur. I have cleared CSAT twice but I know how difficult it is for a Hindi medium student to crack this paper.
Saraswati Saraf,Delhi
The problem of translation is not limited to the UPSC. Study material published by reputed institutions such as the NCERT and IGNOU also have similar flaws. It would be next to impossible for a student to comprehend a subject if he reads the translated versions. The quality and level of English taught in Class 10 in village schools is similar to Class 4 of Central and international board schools.
Pradeep Kothari,Churu, Rajasthan
The debate has taken an English-versus-Hindi form, thanks to those elements that want to gain political mileage. There is also a demand that CSAT be scrapped as it is “elitist,” and favours engineering and medical graduates.
A correct solution can be arrived at only if unjust demands are separated from the genuine ones.
Gaurav Kapoor,Thiruvananthapuram
Many students from rural backgrounds have often made it to the civil services. They had the conviction and didn’t give excuses. It is a standard procedure to undertake an aptitude test for competitive examinations.
Madhusree Guha,Kolkata
