MADURAI
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Thursday ordered notice to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on a public interest litigation petition that sought a direction to bring out the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination question papers in Tamil too.
A Division Bench of Justices N. Kirubakaran and S. S. Sundar ordered notice and adjourned the hearing on the petition filed by advocate E.S. Vijayalakshmi of Madurai.
The petitioner said that though the candidates were allowed to answer in vernacular languages in the Main Examination (except language and essay papers), the question papers for Preliminary Examination were set only in English and Hindi. This did not provide an equal opportunity to all candidates, particularly to those from rural areas, she said.
Though talented, the candidates who had completed their education in vernacular languages at government schools would be disadvantaged, she said adding those who could afford training in private institutions stood a better chance of succeeding.
Hence, there was a need to bring out the Tamil version of the Preliminary Examination question papers, alongside the English and Hindi versions, she said.
