Language row: The CRPF said it "never faced any problem" from southern states. (File)
The CRPF on Wednesday said its in-house recruitment process for hiring constables in various categories has always been conducted in Hindi and English languages "only" and it has "never faced any problem" on participation of candidates from the southern states.
The statement from the country's largest paramilitary force comes in the wake of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin recently writing to Union Home Minister Amit Shah opposing the non-inclusion of Tamil in this computer-based test saying the notification mandating only the use of English and Hindi was 'discriminatory' and 'unilateral'.
Senior Congress leader from poll-bound Karnataka, Siddaramaiah, too had opposed the move to conduct this examination only in Hindi and English and had questioned why it was not being held in Kannada too.
The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) recently advertised for hiring a total of 9,212 constables in the technical and tradesmen category like that of cobbler, washerman and cook etc. through an in-house exam. It recruits constables in the general duty category with the help of Staff Selection Commission (SSC).
"Computer-based test is conducted for both the posts (technical and general duty) bilingually in Hindi and English only. CRPF had never conducted written examinations for in-house recruitment in regional languages."
"The advertisement for 9,212 posts of technical and tradesmen have been issued to conduct recruitment on a regular pattern and the Computer Based Test (CBT) is scheduled to be conducted in English and Hindi languages," a CRPF spokesperson said.
The force "never faced any problem with regard to participation of candidates due to language problems," the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson furnished past figures stating that in earlier recruitment of constable (general duty), the CBT was conducted in English and Hindi language only and participation of candidates from southern states like Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh was found "normal".
During the recruitment of constables (general duty) in 2018, 819 vacancies were filled by candidates from Tamil Nadu, 3,460 vacancies from Andhra Pradesh, 2,349 from Telangana 1,586 vacancies were filled from Karnataka.
Similarly, the spokesperson said, during the recruitment of constable (general duty) in 2021, 816 vacancies were filled from Tamil Nadu, 1,296 from Andhra Pradesh, 574 from Telangana and 719 vacancies from Karnataka were filled.
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