APSC local tongue exam

GUWAHATI: The state government has amended the Assam Public Services Combined Competitive Examination Rules, 1989, to add Assamese, Bengali and Bodo languages to the list of subjects for Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) examinations.
Job applicants will now have to qualify in one of these three native languages. Earlier, English was the only compulsory language paper.The changes in examination rules come in the wake of growing demands for the protection of the rights of indigenous people.
A recent notification issued by the state personnel department said students from Dima Hasao, Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong districts, who did not study Assamese, Bengali and Bodo in school will be exempted from the native language examination.
APSC sources said the amendment would help natives of Assam secure top-tier government jobs. "The new rule will not only help us protect state government jobs for local people but will also encourage students to learn the native languages," one of them said.
Under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, states were formed along linguistic lines. Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Odisha and Punjab are some of the states formed on the basis of language.