Andhra Govt writes to Jayalalithaa over Std X Tamil exam rule

Andhra Pradesh Government today urged Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa to provide at least one year relief to Telugu-speaking students from giving the compulsory Tamil exam as part of Class X rule in the adjoining state.
"In November 2015, the Madras High Court granted one year relief for them (students from AP) from the compulsory Tamil exam in 10th Std and advised the Government to consider all the students who apply for exemption, a suggestion which was agreed to by the TN Advocate Generalin the court.
"We are surprised and shocked to know that the TN Government had rejected applications (seeking exemption from the rule) from about 13,000 minority students putting them to hardship since they were not taught Tamil properly," Andhra Information Minister Palle Raghunatha Reddy said in a letter to the Tamil Nadu CM.

Reddy recalled that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu had also written to Jayalalithaa in this regard, while pointing out the facilities being provided to Tamil students in AP, especially in Chittoor district (located close to TN border).
Providing relief for at least one year would give the students adequate time to study Tamil for 10th Std exams in March 2017, the Minister said.
Since 2015-16 academic year, Tamil has been made compulsorily as first language for all students in Tamil Nadu who sit for their Class X examination.