Madras High Court Allows KVPY Exam In English And Hindi Alone; Asks Centre To Conduct Exam In All Regional Languages Next Year Onwards

The High Court had already stayed the conduct of exams on the previously determined date of 7^th November. Today, the Additional Solicitor General appearing for the Union of India submitted that the KVPY exam was introduced in 1999. It was in 2009 that they brought in a mechanism for conducting exams in Hindi for the aspirants.

"Today, the difficulty is that normally the question papers are first prepared in English. Thereafter, experts with knowledge in, say a regional language, and in Science are entrusted to translate the same. Since this is an online computer exam, the software utilized for the examination must also be modified accordingly. This process takes 5-6 months."

Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee replied that he does not intend to put a spanner in the works of the process. However, he insisted that there is a need for the Union to give an undertaking that the process for inclusion of regional languages in KVPY will be completed in the next 5-6 months. As per the Bench, it is quite necessary to do so in order to make KVPY able to tap into young talents across the country despite language barriers, including students from North East India, Rajasthan etc.

ASG accordingly expressed his willingness to file an affidavit to the effect that when the KVPY happens next year, proper measures will be taken to conduct the exam in all regional/ languages in the 8^th Schedule of the Indian Constitution.

Accordingly, the bench noted in its oral order that subject to such undertaking, it is open for the respondent Union to conduct the exam in Hindi and English alone for the time being.

"As long as there is a prompt commitment from the Union of India to undertake that the talent search exam can be conducted in all regional languages from next year onwards, then there might not be any room to stand in the way. It is not possible to conduct this year's examination in other Indian languages, hence this year's process may be permitted to continue."

The PIL has been listed for next Monday since ASG promised to file an undertaking by then.

Case Title: G.Thirumurugan @ Theeran Thirumurugan Vs Union Of India & 4 Ors.

Case No: WP(MD) /16054/2021