The ongoing row over the Civil Services Aptitude Test shows how poor our education system is. The problem lies at the grassroot level and should, therefore, be addressed at the grassroot level. My mother is a government school headmistress. On the way English is taught in her school, she says: “The government asks us to introduce English from Class 1, without appointing the teachers.” The long-term solution to the problem lies in evolving a proper educational framework for teaching and learning English. Secondly, the perception among civil service aspirants that only those with a high level of English can crack the examination must go.
J. Sumuki,
Vellore
The real problem lies in the quality of education imparted in rural areas. All schools, irrespective of where they are located, offer English as one of the subjects. But teachers aren’t qualified enough to teach. Worse, teachers are not available in many schools. Shouldn’t one then be demanding an improvement in education rather than protesting against the language in a question paper?
As for statistics pointing to an increase in the number of engineering and medical students making it to the civil services, we should look at how many students from these backgrounds appear for the examination. If there is an increase in the number of such aspirants, naturally there will be a corresponding increase in the number getting selected.
Bhuvanesh Selvaraj,
Chennai
There is an increase in the number of aspirants from engineering and management streams. The global financial crisis has partly contributed to this. Many realise that the civil service is more satisfying and a better way to contribute to the nation’s development, than getting huge pay packets from MNCs. No matter how the test pattern is designed, they are bound to succeed due to the learning ability they have gained at their institutions. This is the hard reality.
M. Vinay Kumar,
Nalgonda
Civil servants are expected to implement policies that improve people’s lives. They need to be service-oriented in their thinking. CSAT does not in any way help judge this. A management student’s skill requirements are profit-making and developing business. To understand a social problem, a person should have a knowledge of that particular society and its issues. This can be tested only in the General Studies paper, which has questions from a wider area such as history, economy, current affairs, environment and so on. Paper I in the preliminary examination should be given more weightage.
K. Ragunathan,
Coimbatore
What will the government do if, next year, candidates from the engineering and management backgrounds protest against general studies? An examination cannot be left to the whims of those being examined. Every student has an advantage in his or her own field of study. In order to take one of the highest examinations of the country, candidates should make themselves competent enough to succeed.
Ravi Solanki,
Sonipat
An examination is designed to suit the requirements of a job. It is not designed to ensure an ‘artificial’ level-playing-field for candidates of various backgrounds.
Aptitude is a definite requirement in the administrative services, especially in a complex society and polity like India.
Taranjot Singh,
Ludhiana
