On Monday, February 6, the Supreme Court extended by one year the exemption granted to students studying in linguistic minority schools from writing the Tamil language paper in the Class X board examination. The apex court was hearing a plea challenging the September 2019 order of the Madras High Court that refused to quash the guidelines for granting exemption to students from giving the Tamil language paper in the Class 10 board examination, as stated in a report by PTI.
A bench consisting of Justice SK Kaul and Justice Manoj Misra observed that the interim arrangement, as noted in the high court order which had granted an exemption to students studying in linguistic minority schools from writing Tamil language papers in the Class X examination under Batch-I for academic years 2020 to 2022, be extended for a year. Further, it posted the matter for hearing in the week commencing July 11.
In this regard, the bench observed that "We cannot do this piecemeal. We have to hear it. You have had some interim arrangements. You continue with that for one year." Also, the high court in September 2019 said the government letter of July 18, 2016, which contained the guidelines for granting exemption to students from writing the Tamil language paper in the Class X board examination, could not be quashed.
However, the HC had directed the authorities concerned to grant exemption to students in linguistic minority schools from writing the Tamil language paper in the Class X examination for the 2020-2022 academic year. During the hearing on January 30, the counsel appearing for the petitioner -- Linguistic Minorities Forum of Tamil Nadu -- told the apex court about the plea in the high court and referred to the July 2016 letter.
The high court passed the September 2019 order on a batch of pleas, including those challenging the guidelines issued in the July 18, 2016, letter and also for a direction to authorities to grant exemption to students in linguistic minority member schools from writing the Tamil language paper in the Class 10 examination under Part-I from 2016-17 till the 2023-24 academic years.
Further, it had noted that under the guidelines, only those students who have migrated from other states could apply for an exemption. Also, the high court noted that the guidelines were issued regarding the schedule and eligibility criteria for applying for exemption from writing the Tamil language under Paper-I (compulsory subject) in the SSLC board examination, 2017, as stated in a report by PTI.
The letter read, "The following guidelines are issued for consideration and disposal of applications for exemption from students seeking exemption from writing Tamil in the 10th standard board examination: "a) students whose parents are in government service or the employment of public sector undertakings/institutions/
Additionally, in its plea filed in the apex court, the Linguistic Minorities Forum of Tamil Nadu contended that the substantial question of law that falls for consideration of the court is whether the rights of linguistic minorities guaranteed under the Constitution can be "infringed" by the state under the "garb of a state legislation which introduces Tamil as a compulsory language and consequently, restrains the students of linguistic minorities from learning their mother tongue".
"The guidelines in the form of a letter dated July 18, 2016, have all the attributes and trappings of being authoritarian by excluding the linguistic minorities of the state from seeking exemption from writing the Tamil language paper in 10th standard public examination," the plea alleged, as stated in a report by PTI.
