By Asia Samachar | Panjab |
Nearly 90% of the applicants who appeared for the Punjabi language eligibility test, mandatory for getting a government job in Punjab, flunked the examination conducted in March this year.
Only seven of the 69 who sat for the examination on March 10 had passed, reported the Hindustan Times. The results were declared on Tuesday (April 2).
The exam is conducted four times a year: March, June, September, and December. Clearing it is mandatory for those aspiring for Group C and D posts of the Punjab government if they have not studied Punjabi at matriculation-level.
The exam comprises two papers: grammar and technical, each of 75 marks, out which a candidate is required to secure a minimum of 25 marks to pass.
When asked about the reasons behind such a high percentage of candidates flunking the exam, Punjab language department director Harpreet Kaur told the the newspaper: “Majority of the applicants couldn’t write Punjabi properly. There were a lot of spelling mistakes. Therefore, they could not pass the exam.”
The report also quoted Sukhdev Singh Sirsa, an eminent Punjabi writer and a former professor at Panjab University, as saying: “The exam conducted by the language department is not that tough. Still, if nearly 90% of applicants have failed, it shows that Punjabi language is not taken seriously. Job aspirants are not taking Punjabi language as seriously as they should. I think the education system and parents are to be blamed for this downfall of the Punjabi language.”
The state Cabinet led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann agreed to amend Rule 17 of the Punjab Civil Services (General and Common Conditions of services) Rules, 1994, and the Punjab State (Group-D) Service Rules, 1963, to ensure that only those candidates are appointed in the Punjab Government who have knowledge of the Punjabi language, reported The Tribune in October 2022.
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The Punjabis these days take out Oora and Joora
Those who are educated will take off the turban, and don caps and hats.
Then they will try to speak hindi like they are the sitare of bollywood.
If a little educated they mar Angrezi
There is no love lost for the mother tongue!
Is it any wonder the mother tongue is aching for its children?
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