CAPF constable exams to be held in 13 regional languages, Hindi, English
The constable (general duty) examination for the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) will now be conducted in in 13 regional languages besides Hindi and English.
Hailed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “pathbreaking”, the decision was taken at the initiative of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to give impetus to the participation of local youths in the CAPF and encourage regional languages, an official statement said.
“In a landmark decision under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, (the) Ministry of Home Affairs has approved conducting constable (general duty) examination for CAPFs in 13 regional languages, in addition to Hindi and English,” the statement said.
Watch: Have police encounters become a political tool for Yogi Adityanath govt? | Capital Beat
The CAPFs include the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the Border Security Force (BSF), the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), and the National Security Guard (NSG).
Modi’s tweet
“A pathbreaking decision, which will give wings to the aspirations of our youth! This is a part of our various efforts to ensure language is not seen as a barrier in fulfilling one’s dreams,” PM Modi tweeted on Saturday (April 15).
A pathbreaking decision, which will give wings to the aspirations of our youth! This is a part of our various efforts to ensure language is not seen as a barrier in fulfilling one’s dreams. https://t.co/rixlkUgMY7
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 15, 2023
In addition to Hindi and English, the question paper will be set in Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Marathi, Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Odia, Urdu, Punjabi, Manipuri, and Konkani.
The announcement comes days after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin wrote to Shah, urging him to include Tamil as a language for the written exam in the recruitment for CRPF personnel. In his letter, Stalin pointed out that the notification for the CRPF recruitment written exam mentioned that the test could be taken only in English and Hindi.
The Home Ministry said the latest decision would help lakhs of aspirants take the examination in their mother tongue or regional language and improve their selection prospects.
Also read: ‘Mitti me mila dunga’ trends on Twitter after Atiq’s son killed in police encounter
Addendum to MoU
The ministry and the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) will sign an addendum to the existing Memorandum of Understanding to facilitate the conduct of the examination in multiple Indian languages, the statement said.
Constable (general duty) is one of the flagship examinations conducted by the SSC and attracts lakhs of candidates from across the country.
The examination in 13 regional languages, in addition to Hindi and English, will be conducted from January 1, 2024.
The state governments and Union Territory administrations are expected to launch a wide campaign to encourage local youths to use this opportunity of taking the examination in their mother tongue and participate in large numbers to make a career serving the country, the statement said.
The ministry, under the leadership of Modi and the guidance of Shah, is fully committed to encourage the use and development of regional languages, it said.
(With agency inputs)
