By Muslim Mirror News,
New Delhi, April 21: Scores of students from Students Islamic Organisation of India on Sunday organized a protest demonstration here at Jantar Mantar against the Union Public Service Commission for excluding Arabic and other foreign languages from Civil Services examinations. The protestors demanded UPSC to take back its decision as it would hamper thousands of students who are studying Arabic and hundreds of colleges and universities across the country.
“The new decision taken by the Union Public Service Commission with respect to the UPSC Civil Service Mains Examinations which do not allow choosing the options of foreign languages like French, German and Arabic to the students as their optional papers is totally illogical and condemnable. This decision by the Commission undermines the mammoth number of students enrolled for learning as well as researching these languages in Universities across India”, said Mr. Khalik Ahmad Khan, National Secretary, SIO while addressing the protestors.
Sajid who qualified UPSC Mains Examination last year having Arabic in optional paper said “I studied in Islamic Madarsa where I was learning Arabic for 12 years, the exclusion of foreign language will exclude the madarsa students from being the part of bureaucracy.”
“In the era of Globalisation where students are curious to learn different languages and culture, such step taken by UPSC will discourage the students for learning foreign language. At the same time, It is also important that many of these thousands of students are studying these subjects aiming to appear for the UPSC-CSE. Besides, the commercial and other strategic functions of all these languages cannot be spared at any passing moment”, said Kashif Ahmad, Sub-Editor, Chhatra Vimarsh Magazine.
“It is true that such languages are not a part of the eighth schedule of the Indian Constitution; yet, in a note that must be taken by the Commission, the equality of opportunities to appear in UPSC examinations cannot be denied to any language students enrolled for studying such languages within Indian University Campuses. SIO demands UPSC and government of India to add options of foreign language like French German and Arabic, as optional language papers in the UPSC Civil Service main examination”, Sharique Ansar, National Secretary, SIO.
A memorandum to the Prime Minister was also presented.