The Tamil Nadu government on Friday passed the Tamil Nadu Government Servants (Conditions of Service) Amendment Bill, 2023, for making Tamil language papers compulsory in competitive examinations for recruitment to government services.
The Bill, introduced by Minister for Finance and Human Resources Management Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, stated that a government order was issued on December 1, 2021, through which a compulsory Tamil language paper was introduced in all competitive examinations for direct recruitment to ensure only Tamil youths were recruited for all State government departments and public sector enterprises.
The statement of objects and reasons for the Bill to amend the Tamil Nadu Government Servants (Conditions of Service) Act, 2016, said: “As per Section 21 of this Act, no person shall be eligible for appointment to any service by direct recruitment unless he has adequate knowledge of the official language of the State, that is Tamil.”
“To give statutory effect to the said executive order, the government have decided to amend the Tamil Nadu Government Servants (Conditions of Service) Act, 2016 (Tamil Nadu Act 14 of 2016) suitably and to validate any action taken or anything done based on the said order,” the Bill said.
When the Minister sought to move the Bill, Panruti MLA T. Velmurugan said several candidates from other States were being recruited for State government posts and Tamil Nadu youths were being denied opportunities. The PMK’s G.K. Mani (Pennagaram) and the VCK’s J. Mohamed Shanavas (Nagapattinam) raised similar concerns.
The Bill, however, allows candidates who do not possess adequate knowledge of Tamil at the time of application to apply, if otherwise qualified, and get appointed, provided that they should pass a “second class language test” in Tamil in two years from the date of their appointment, failing which they would be discharged from service.
The Bill inserted Section (21-A) after Section 21 which read: “Notwithstanding anything contained in Section 21, on and from the 1st day of December 2021, any person who applies for recruitment to any post in any service by direct recruitment shall pass the Tamil language paper in the examination conducted for the recruitment with not less than forty per cent marks (sic).”
Mr. Rajan said they had made valid points but this Bill was to be adopted in the House and if not, it would lead to a situation wherein candidates without the knowledge of Tamil would appear in competitive exams.
While the erstwhile AIADMK government had enacted legislation which gave the candidates two years to clear the Tamil paper from the date of recruitment, the DMK government introduced legislation, which makes the Tamil language paper compulsory for recruitment, the Minister pointed out.
Following a voice vote, the House adopted the Bill. Later, all the Bills tabled during this session were also adopted. Speaker M. Appavu subsequently adjourned the House sine die.
