‘English Vinglish’

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civil service amitabh thakur

 

‘English Vinglish’

Whether one likes it or not, the fact remains that English remains the
predominantly used language of Indian bureaucracy

 

the recent amendment in the Civil Services Examination pattern made a lot of news, particularly as regards the presence of English language as a compulsory paper in the Mains examinations. Many important political figures vehemently opposed it, resulting in the Government reconsidering its decision and withdrawing its notification. Currently, certain amendments are going on in the examination scheme but this process has once again brought to the fore the language problem that concerns our Nation and its relationship with civil services.

 

Civil services in India, as they exist today, are generally considered to be the legacy of the British rule. The English created a vast bureaucracy of the kind that was possibly not in existence before them. Right from the officers of the Indian Civil Service (ICS) at the top to the low-paid junior Indian servants, this lot formed almost a separate class of its own. So much was the clout, importance and relevance of these Civil Services that they remained an important issue in the charter of the Indian National Congress, Muslim League and other prominent Indian political and social movements...Read More