Uproar over the CBSE's decision to cut down the number of languages in which the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) is conducted, has forced HRD minister Prakash Javadekar to intervene. The Union Minister clarified on Monday that the test will be conducted in 20 languages including Tamil as was done till last year.
The CTET is written by teachers aspiring to be employed in Kendriya Vidyalayas as well as private institutions affiliated to the CBSE. Several media outlets reported on Monday that the examination will only be conducted in Hindi, English and Sanskrit this year. The reports suggested question papers would no longer be provided in 16 languages including Tamil, Assamese, Bangla, Garo, Gujarati, Kanada, Khasi, Malyalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Mizo, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Telugu, Tibetan and Urdu.
Javadekar denied this development when initially questioned about it but the CTET website clearly stated that the examination will be conducted only in three languages and not the other regional languages as is practice. Aspirants had to choose two languages from Hindi, English and Sanskrit for the examination.
Following this, the HRD Minister tweeted his clarification - 'CTET examination will be conducted in all Indian languages as was being conducted earlier. I have already directed @cbseindia29 to conduct examination in all the 20 languages as was being done earlier. #CTET examination will be held in English, Hindi, Assamese, Bangla, Garo, Gujarati, Kanada, Khasi, Malyalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Mizo, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu,Tibetan & Urdu @cbseindia29.'
CTET examination will be conducted in all Indian languages as was being conducted earlier. I have already directed @cbseindia29 to conduct examination in all the 20 languages as was being done earlier.
— Prakash Javadekar (@PrakashJavdekar) June 18, 2018
When TNM contacted the CBSE however, they refused to comment on the situation and if the papers will be given in all above mentioned languages.
In 2016, over seven lakh candidates across the country applied for the test.
Political parties and educationists had opined that this decision would be detrimental for aspirants from South India. And they refuse to believe that decision was taken without Javadekar's knowledge.
"Are they trying to say that the director of CBSE took such a big policy decision without informing the HRD ministry?" asks educationist Prince Gajendrababu.
"This is a violation of people's constitutional rights. Not of the teacher's but also the student's right to receive education in his or her mother tongue .The Union Ministry has clearly adopted the wait and watch approach. They were testing waters to see how people react and the minute Tamil Nadu burst out in anger they took back the decision," he alleges.