Form panel to examine introduction of compulsory Eng test in

The Delhi High Court has directed the Centre to set up a panel to examine a plea against UPSC's introduction of a compulsory English comprehension skill test in the prelims of the civil service examinations since 2011.
A bench of Chief Justice D Murugesan and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw asked the Centre to set up the panel within three months and take a decision over the issue in nine months on a petition.
The petition filed by (Retd) Professor Dinanath Batra alleged that "the test of English Language Comprehension Skills adversely affects the Hindi and other regional language speaking candidates in taking the civil service exam."

"We dispose of this petition by directing the Union of India to, within three months, constitute appropriate committee, if not already in place, for examination of the questions raised by the petitioner and the representations of the petitioner...,in consultation with the UPSC, within nine months take a decision on the nature of the test of knowledge of English language in the Civil Services Examination.
"Whether it is to be only qualifying or competitive or mixture of both. We are confident that such committee, in its report will give reasons for its decision," the bench said.
The court recorded UPSC's submission that superior knowledge of English gives a cutting edge to the civil servants who have to deal with global affairs and which would be a reasonable classification.

The bench said, "though we do not find any merit in the challenge, on the grounds urged, but we still find an element of arbitrariness, also within the domain of Article 14, in the decision of the respondents (UPSC and Centre) to effect the change impugned in this petition.