ASI PG diploma in archaeology: EPS urges PM Modi to include PG in Tamil among minimum qualifications
CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Thursday sought the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to direct the Archaeological Survey of India of the Union ministry of culture to include PG in Tamil language as one of the minimum qualifications for admission to the PG diploma in archaeology in Pandit Deenadayal Upadhyaya Institute of Archaeology.
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the chief minister said it was a laudable initiative to create a suitable talent pool in a consistent manner, which would unravel the glorious past of the country in a professional way, but some of the guidelines serve as entry barriers for the aspirants in the country, especially for people from Tamil Nadu.
The ASI advertisement for the session 2020-22 prescribed the minimum qualification criteria as PG in, among other relevant subjects, Indian classical languages, such as Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit, Arabic or Persian. “Unfortunately, among the listed languages, only Sanskrit was declared as a classical language in 2005. Furthermore, Tamil, which was the first language in India officially recognised as a classical language in 2004, has been completely ignored,” the chief minister said.
There were about 48,000 inscriptions in all the languages that had been published by various agencies in India, including the ASI, of which more than 28,000 inscriptions were in Tamil language alone, Palaniswami said.
“Keeping in view of the above facts and to make the admission process more inclusive, I strongly urge you to direct the ASI to suitably amend its guidelines and advertisement to also include PG in Tamil language as one of the minimum qualifications for admission to the PG diploma in archaeology at the above institute,” the CM said.
Meanwhile, Tamil official language and culture minister K Pandiarajan tweeted that the ASI had responded within two hours of the chief minister's communication that it would include all recognised Indian classical languages for admission in PG diploma course in archaeology, and it would issue corrigendum to advertisement.
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the chief minister said it was a laudable initiative to create a suitable talent pool in a consistent manner, which would unravel the glorious past of the country in a professional way, but some of the guidelines serve as entry barriers for the aspirants in the country, especially for people from Tamil Nadu.
The ASI advertisement for the session 2020-22 prescribed the minimum qualification criteria as PG in, among other relevant subjects, Indian classical languages, such as Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit, Arabic or Persian. “Unfortunately, among the listed languages, only Sanskrit was declared as a classical language in 2005. Furthermore, Tamil, which was the first language in India officially recognised as a classical language in 2004, has been completely ignored,” the chief minister said.
There were about 48,000 inscriptions in all the languages that had been published by various agencies in India, including the ASI, of which more than 28,000 inscriptions were in Tamil language alone, Palaniswami said.
“Keeping in view of the above facts and to make the admission process more inclusive, I strongly urge you to direct the ASI to suitably amend its guidelines and advertisement to also include PG in Tamil language as one of the minimum qualifications for admission to the PG diploma in archaeology at the above institute,” the CM said.
Meanwhile, Tamil official language and culture minister K Pandiarajan tweeted that the ASI had responded within two hours of the chief minister's communication that it would include all recognised Indian classical languages for admission in PG diploma course in archaeology, and it would issue corrigendum to advertisement.
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