RS MP appeals
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IMPHAL, Feb 9 Rajya Sabha MP Leishemba Sanajaoba has made an appeal to the Centre for the inclusion of Meetei Mayek script alongside Bengali script for the Manipuri optional question paper in UPSC examinations.
He raised the issue during zero hour of the ongoing Parliamentary session today.
The RS MP noted that candidates with Manipuri as optional subject are permitted to write answers in either Bengali script or Meetei Mayek script. However, the question paper for the subject is printed only in Bengali script. This practice places the candidates who do not understand the Bengali script at a disadvantage as Bangla/Bengali script has been completely replaced by Meetei Mayek script for teaching in schools, colleges, and universities for the last 20 years or so in Manipur.
"Almost all students have been educated entirely in Meetei Mayek and do not possess functional literacy in the Bengali script", said the MP. However, UPSC has compelled these candidates to read and understand the questions set only in Bengali script undermining their language proficiency.
As a result, many willing candidates are discouraged from opting for Manipuri as their optional subject.
He stated that there is no academic or technical impediment preventing the questions from being printed in Meetei Mayek alongside Bangla script, as is done for other languages with multiple scripts. As such, he called for the matter to be brought to the attention of UPSC and authority concerned and rectified at an early date.
He raised the issue during zero hour of the ongoing Parliamentary session today.
The RS MP noted that candidates with Manipuri as optional subject are permitted to write answers in either Bengali script or Meetei Mayek script. However, the question paper for the subject is printed only in Bengali script. This practice places the candidates who do not understand the Bengali script at a disadvantage as Bangla/Bengali script has been completely replaced by Meetei Mayek script for teaching in schools, colleges, and universities for the last 20 years or so in Manipur.
"Almost all students have been educated entirely in Meetei Mayek and do not possess functional literacy in the Bengali script", said the MP. However, UPSC has compelled these candidates to read and understand the questions set only in Bengali script undermining their language proficiency.
As a result, many willing candidates are discouraged from opting for Manipuri as their optional subject.
He stated that there is no academic or technical impediment preventing the questions from being printed in Meetei Mayek alongside Bangla script, as is done for other languages with multiple scripts. As such, he called for the matter to be brought to the attention of UPSC and authority concerned and rectified at an early date.