CAPF cop exam to be conducted in Odia, 12 other languages

Bhubaneswar: The ministry of home affairs has approved conducting the constable (general duty) examination for the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in 13 regional languages, including Odia, in addition to Hindi and English.
Official sources said that the move is expected to encourage local youngsters to take the exam and give a boost to regional languages.
While welcoming the move, Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan said, “This decision will help celebrate our linguistic diversity, encourage the promotion of Indian languages and open new opportunities for the Yuva Shakti. It will benefit a large cross section of our youth, particularly in the rural areas.”
The constable general duty exam is conducted by the Staff Selection Commission and it attracts lakhs of candidates throughout India. This year the exam will be conducted from January 01, 2024 onwards.
One Dipu Sahu, who is preparing for the state police and CAPF exams, said, “I am not fluent in either Hindi or English. Thus, the home ministry’s move will definitely help aspirants like me.”
Another aspirant named Jitendra Behera said, “My English is very poor and I cannot write well in Hindi. Now I can easily understand the questions and write the answers in Odia language with ease.”
Rabindra Nath Misra, former inspector general of central reserve police force (CRPF), said it is a historic decision taken by the Centre.
Subrat Kumar Prusty, who is a language activist, said, “More and more examinations of the Centre and the state should add Odia language. It will help the aspirants score well. Regional languages should be given respect in all sectors.”