No plans to conduct SSC exams only in Hindi: Govt to Rajya Sabha

NEW DELHI; The government has no proposal to conduct the examinations of the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) only in Hindi, Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Kumar Mishra said in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. Mishra also ruled out making Hindi compulsory in all central government offices and institutions, saying the question does not arise.

"There is no proposal to conduct the examinations of SSC only in Hindi," he said replying to a written question on Wednesday. Mishra said the the National Education Policy (2020) envisages imparting more programmes in higher education, using mother tongue or local language as medium of instruction, and or offer programs bilingually, in order to increase access and Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) and also to promote the strength, usage and vibrancy of all Indian languages.

The minister said the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) are major recruiting agencies in central government and the preliminary examinations conducted by the two commissions comprise multiple-choice objective type questions in Hindi and English, wherein the candidate has to tick mark the appropriate answer.

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Mishra said the UPSC holds examinations or recruitment tests for selection of candidates to various Group 'A' and Group 'B' services or posts, on the basis of the Rules of Examination and Recruitment Rules, as framed and notified by the concerned Ministry or Department, including the medium of language. However, in the Civil Services (Mains), examination conducted by the UPSC, the candidate has the option to write his answers in any regional language, except in case of language and literature papers.

He said the medium of examinations conducted by the SSC is normally Hindi and English. However, paper-II of Multi-Tasking (non- Technical) Staff Examination is conducted in all the languages included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.