English Subject in Recruitment Examination: Lok Sabha Q&A

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL,PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS

LOK SABHA

ANSWERED ON 08.05.2013

(a) whether English subject is mandatory in the recruitment of examination for the Government jobs in the country;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether candidates of rural, poor and lower middle-class, lacking knowledge of English subject, are deprived of these jobs as a result thereof;

(d) if so, whether the Government is likely to take action to do away with the compulsion of English subject for all such examinations; and

(e) if so, the details thereof and the action taken in this regard?

ANSWER

(a) & (b): Recruitment for the Government jobs in the country is made in accordance with the approved rules/schemes framed on the basis of job profile and functional requirements of the posts. Most of such recruitments in the Central Government are made on all India basis and the candidates selected through open competitive examinations are required to serve anywhere in India. Testing of English language either as a language paper or component of General English is prescribed as a part of some of the examinations conducted by the two main recruiting agencies of the Central Government viz. Union Public Service Commission(UPSC) and Staff Selection Commission (SSC) as per functional needs.