Outraged MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, others blast UPSC for being anti-rural India

Holding that the recent changes made by UPSC in the civil services main exams are against the interest of aspirants from rural areas, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has urged his counterparts in others states to raise the issue with the Prime Minister.

Chouhan wrote a letter to all the state Chief Ministers yesterday raising the issue of the recent decision of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to prepare merit list of the civil services main examination by adding the marks scored by the candidates in English language, official sources said today.

Chouhan said in the letter that such a decision was against the interest of the aspirants from rural India and small towns having very limited competency in English language, they said.

"I humbly request all of you to raise the issue of preparing civil services examination merit list considering the marks scored in English language with the Prime Minister," Chouhan said in the letter.

He said that knowledge of any particular language should not become the criterion for selection process. The candidates should be encouraged to express themselves in any Indian language, along with a qualifying level examination of English language.

Since independence, efforts were being made to give civil services the status of the representative service, which resulted in the current situation where candidates belonging to poorer and deprived classes, too, were able to participate

in the civil services, he wrote in the letter.

The Chief Minister further said that in the last three decades, candidates having rural background and those belonging to weaker sections have secured their due place in the All India and other allied services.

However, while introducing reforms in the examination pattern, one has to keep in mind the limited scope available to the candidates having deep knowledge and natural competencies acquired through education because of language barrier, Chouhan said.

... contd.

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