Buckling under pressure, the Government on Thursday dropped the English essay paper of 100 marks in the 2013 Civil Services Main Examination and restored the earlier practice of two qualifying papers in any Indian language and English.
A related decision by the UPSC had created a nationwide uproar and MPs cutting across party lines too had slammed the move claiming “English speaking candidates” would score better marks. Following the strong protests, the Government had on March 15 announced to keep the UPSC order, giving more weightage to English in the exam, in abeyance.
“The English component (of 100 marks) from the essay paper will be dropped and the status quo ante of two qualifying papers of 300 marks each in any modern Indian language and in English — shall be restored,” Minister of State for Personnel V Narayanasamy said in the lok Sabha.
In a statement on the issue, he said the essay paper would now be of 250 marks to be written in the medium or language of the candidate’s choice. As earlier, the candidates would be allowed to use any one language from the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution or English as the medium of writing the examination, he said.
The controversial conditionality imposed by the UPSC that language would be allowed as the medium of examination only if a minimum of 25 candidates wanted it has been dropped, Narayanasamy said.
Further, he said that a candidate would also be allowed to take up literature as an optional subject “without the conditionality of having to do his/her graduation in that language’s literature”.
The Minister said these decisions were taken after the Government took into account the views expressed by MPs in Parliament, representations on the notification and consultation with different agencies.
Government had kept the UPSC notification in abeyance after the two Houses of Parliament witnessed repeated uproar and adjournments, with members terming the notification as “unconstitutional” and demanding its rollback mainly on the ground that it put rural students at a disadvantage. They had also sought action against the UPSC chief and others responsible for the action, which they said went against regional languages.