In India, the literacy of regional language is a big draw in the current job market, with applications spanning targeted software development to content creation and many more options. In 2023, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said the Centre has decided to hold a government job recruitment test, conducted by the SSC, in 15 languages so that the youth of the country do not miss any opportunity. This historic decision will give impetus to the participation of local youth and encourage regional languages.
There are several states in India where having full proficiency in the local language is mandatory to get government jobs. States like Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have similar provisions where candidates need to be fluent in the regional language. Uttar Pradesh and Bihar already have a compulsory component of the Hindi language that candidates have to qualify at any cost.
Here is the list of states
1. Assam
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on July 10 said that the state government has made proficiency in local language mandatory for selection in government jobs, and this would protect the rights and interests of Assamese. Sarma said that the Permanent Resident Certificate (PRC) cannot protect the rights of the local people, as PRC can be obtained if a person lives in Assam for three years.
Sarma stated in X, “Enquire further on what authority the Director of Higher Education issued this circular. Such a circular could only have been issued by the Government, not by a directorate”.
The Chief Minister’s comments came on the reactions stemming from the notification of the Higher Education Department regarding the exemption of PRC for the appointment of Assistant Professor, librarian, Grade III and Grade IV employees in colleges. He said that the state government has made aptitude of local language mandatory for selection which according to him would protect the rights and interests of the local people.
2. Karnataka
Karnataka government introduced a bill in the Assembly providing reservation to Kannadiga's in higher education and professional courses, and linking any concessions or grant-in aid for industries with jobs for locals.
The bill defines Kannadiga as a person or his parents or in their absence legal guardian who is/are ordinarily resident of Karnataka for not less than 15 years and having knowledge of reading and writing Kannada; and proposes penal provisions in case of violations of rules. The bill was introduced by Kannada and Culture Minister V Sunil Kumar in the Assembly.
3. Telangana
Telangana government in 2016 said that the rule of local language is both a necessity and a tool to promote local culture, which has been long neglected under the shadow of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh. “How can a person who wants to get recruited in the revenue department or the agriculture department do justice to his a job if he does not understand what is Khushki or Tari? That is precisely why we have introduced questions about Telangana dialect in the syllabus for recruitment tests, whether is for Group-I category or Group-II,” Telangana state public service commission (TSPSC) chairman Ghanta Chakrapani told media.
4. Jharkhand
Hemant Soren Cabinet in 2021 approved a new appointment policy-making knowledge of regional and tribal languages mandatory for Government jobs in the State through the Jharkhand State Staff Selection Commission. Also, the candidates seeking jobs in the State should have knowledge of local culture, language, and tradition besides attaining at least 30 percent marks in a regional and tribal language which will be added to the scores while preparing the merit list.
The regional and tribal languages which any candidate could opt for state-level examination are - Mundari, Kharia, Ho, Santhali, Khortha, Panchpargania, Bangla, Urdu, Kurmali, Nagpuri, Kurukh and Odia. Urdu has been retained as one of the languages in the 12 language papers while Hindi and Sanskrit which were there earlier have been dropped.
5. Punjab
The Punjab Cabinet in 2022 approved changing the rules to ensure that only applicants with in-depth knowledge of the Punjabi language are hired for Group C and D positions in the state government. The historic choice aims to further bolster the state's commitment to the values of Punjab, Punjabi, and Punjabiat. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Punjab Cabinet under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
The cabinet gave nod for amending Rule 17 of Punjab Civil Services (General and Common Conditions of services) Rules, 1994 and Punjab State (Group D) Service Rules 1963 with an aim to ensure that only those candidates are appointed in the Punjab government who have in-depth knowledge of Punjabi language.
6. Tamil Nadu
The Tamil Nadu government in 2021 made Tamil language proficiency compulsory for entry to state government services and state-run public sector enterprises. All state government-held competitive exams would from now on have a compulsory paper in the Tamil language and a pass in the subject is the basic qualifying norm for entry to Tamil Nadu government services and state-run public sector enterprises, the government announced.
The decision by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government, many believe, is a reflection of political insecurities and lack of employment and will create a barrier for candidates from other states. The Tamil Nadu Assembly amended a legislation, to make securing a pass in Tamil language paper compulsory for recruitment to State government services, with retrospective effect, from December 1, 2021.
The Statement of Objects and Reasons of the Bill to amend The Tamil Nadu Government Servants (Conditions of Service) Act, 2016 said that as per Section 21 of this Act no person shall be eligible for appointment to any service by direct recruitment unless he has an adequate knowledge of the official language of the State, that is Tamil. The said section also enables the candidates who do not possess adequate knowledge in Tamil at the time of application to apply for recruitment, if otherwise qualified and get appointed, subject to the condition that they should pass a 'second class language test' in Tamil within a period of two years from the date of their appointment, failing which they shall be discharged from service.
7. West Bengal
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in December 2021 asserted that priority must be given to locals and those knowing the local language during recruitment in state government jobs. CM Banerjee said that this practice would ease administrative affairs.
Other states
In Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Chhattisgarh also the candidate needs to qualify for the local language norm to receive a good job in the government sector.
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