– Shabana Javed
Kolkata, Jan. 14: Urdu has finally been included in the civil services exam papers of Bengal. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced that Urdu as well as Santhali will be allowed in the WBCS examination. The Urdu community in Bengal has welcomed this decision.
At the beginning of the year, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee made a big decision regarding the WBCS exams, saying that apart from Bengali, Urdu and Santhali languages will be added from now on for the convenience of the candidates. Making this announcement at Nabanna, the State Secretariat, Banerjee said along with Urdu and Santhali languages, Hindi has also been added.
Last year WBCS preliminary exam was held on 16th December. Currently, training classes are conducted in various government or private institutions in different regions of the state for WBCS exam preparation. Teachers think the announcement of the state government is very significant for all these candidates.
Welcoming the decision, Professor Shibli of Maulana Azad College said it will give an opportunity to weak students of Urdu medium to progress. He said financially weak students have a chance to appear in the exam after this decision.
At the last stage, the WBCS exam applicants have been intensively trained by the administration in the areas adjacent to Jangalmahal such as Paschim Medinipur, Jhargram, etc. Now that regional languages like Santhali have been approved in WBCS, the educational community feels that a larger section of students will get the opportunity.
In 2011, the Mamata government gave Urdu the second official language status in Bengal. But in March last, a government notification cancelled the facility of Urdu and Santhali languages in the WBCS exam. A memorandum was given to the government and finally, the Chief Minister issued a statement allowing Urdu in WBCS exams.
