The high court also allowed the Assam government to declare the final results of CEE (Mains) 2020
Guwahati: The Gauhati High Court on Friday dismissed a plea seeking directions to roll back the Assam government’s decision to withdraw the Assamese language paper from the Combined Competitive Examination (CCE) conducted by APSC.
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
A bench comprising Chief Justice RM Chhaya and Justice Soumitra Saikia while hearing several petitions against the Assam government’s decision to withdraw the Assamese language paper from CEE observed that public interest litigation (PIL) in service matter is not maintainable.
“The decision taken by the State (Assam) government in granting exemptions is in no way violative of the provisions of the Assam Official Language Act 1960. The Assamese Language Learning Act, 2020 appears in different sphere,” the bench maintained.
A total of four PILs were filed before the high court against the Assam government’s decision.
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
The petitioners claimed that the withdrawal of the Assamese language paper from the APSC exams would benefit the non-Assamese-speaking people from outside Assam.
The high court also allowed the Assam government to declare the final results of CCE (Mains) 2020.
“The APSC is at liberty to declare the final results of the Combined Competitive (Mains) Examination (CCE) 2020 (Written and Interview) and complete the recruitment process,” the HC order stated.
In November last year, the Assam Cabinet took a decision of abolishing the qualifying language paper for the State civil services examinations.
The APSC Rules were amended in 2019 according to which applicants had to appear for a compulsory language qualifying paper in Assamese or associate languages Bodo or Bengali, except for those from Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao.
Following this, the Manipuri community of Barak Valley had appealed to the government that they should be exempted from appearing in the qualifying paper.
The government subsequently passed an order exempting all aspirants from Barak Valley from appearing in the qualifying paper.
The candidates of the Brahmaputra Valley then contested this in the Gauhati High Court.