Hyderabad, Jul 18 (IANS): The Telangana government has urged the Centre to allow students appearing in competitive exams to write the exams in regional languages.

In a letter to Union Minister Jitendra Singh who holds charge of the Personnel Ministry, state Industry and Information Technology Minister K.T. Rama Rao said that every year, many candidates from different states appear for competitive exams for recruitment in central services, departments and undertakings through the Union Public Service Commission and other recruitment agencies.

However, these competitive exams are held in only English and Hindi, which was a serious disadvantage to students who did not study in English medium or not from Hindi speaking states, he said.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao had earlier written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting to permit candidates taking all competitive exams of the Centre to write in regional languages also.

Rama Rao pointed out that the Union Cabinet approved the proposal to set up the National Recruitment Agency which has decided to facilitate a Common Eligibility Test (NRA-CET) to replace multiple examinations for recruitment to Central government jobs and conduct these examinations in 12 Indian languages. He wrote that while he wholeheartedly welcomed the move, it was very unfortunate to note that these changes are not being implemented properly.

"For instance, in a recent job notification i.e. Constables (GD) in Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), NIA, SSF and Rifleman (GD) in Assam Rifles Examination, 2021- candidates are allowed to write the exam only in Hindi or English. Same is the case with a few other employment notifications in the recent past. This comes as a rude shock to applicants belonging to regional languages, who are forced to lose great opportunities," he wrote.

He urged Jitendra Singha to look into this issue and permit candidates taking all competitive exams of the Centre, its departments and undertakings held through the UPSC, the RRB, the PSBs, the RBI, the SSC, etc. to write in regional languages also.

He also demanded that until a proper implementation policy is decided on this regional languages issue, the Centre withhold the recruitment process for the notifications already issued and refrain from issuing new job notifications.

Allowing applicants to write competitive exams in their respective languages will provide equal and fair opportunity to the candidates from all the states, he added.