The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has directed the Department of Technical Education to conduct the speed test first followed by the statement and letters test for the candidates appearing for the typewriting examinations.
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The court was hearing the petition filed by Tamil Nadu Typewriting, Shorthand, Computer Institutes Sangam of Virudhunagar district. Its President S. Soma Sankar challenged the decision taken by the authorities to conduct the statement and letters test first followed by the speed test.
Justice G.R. Swaminathan observed that the case was pertaining to the examination pattern in the typewriting course (junior and senior). The examination consists of two tests, speed and statement and letters. Such examinations have been held for over 75 years.
Speed was the first test and statement and letters was the second test. Ten minutes was allotted for the speed test for both juniors and seniors. It was followed by the statement and letters test. While 45 minutes was allotted for juniors, one hour was allotted for seniors.
When this has been the practice adopted for more than 75 years, compelling reasons must be set out to justify the departure. While it is open to the authorities to effect change in the policy, compelling reasons must be there more so when long standing and settled practice is being departed from. In this case, such compelling reasons have not been set out, the judge said and directed the authorities to conduct the speed test first followed by the statement and letters test for the candidates appearing for the typewriting examinations.