(a) whether it is true that the Government is planning to hold the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examinations in all official languages of the country;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) if not, the reasons therefor; and
(d) the details of the present languages in which the examination can be written thereto?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE
(DR. JITENDRA SINGH)
(a) to (c): UPSC conducts various examinations in accordance with the rules framed and notified by the nodal Ministry/ Department, which, inter-alia, contain scheme of the examination, medium of language etc. At present, the Civil Services (Main) Examination can be written in English and languages included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
UPSC and the nodal Ministries/ Departments are seized of the matter. In fact, UPSC had constituted a High Level Standing Committee to examine the modalities of implementing the Parliamentary Resolution on Official Languages dated 18.01.1968. The Committee had, in its Report submitted in the year 2012, which was accepted by the UPSC, underlined certain constraints such as practical/operational difficulties in getting the precise Hindi translation of question papers; especially in technical papers (Engineering, Medical Science etc.); growth of Hindi and other languages in the higher educational system, which are existing as of today.
(d): Details of the language mediums for various competitive Examinations conducted by the UPSC are at Annexure.
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