Railway recruitment exams postponed amid protests over 'Kannada' issue
South Western Railway (SWR) has put its recruitment exams on pause after protests broke out over Kannada being dropped as an exam language.
The tests were supposed to happen today, but when Kannada was removed from the options (leaving just English and Hindi), groups like Karnataka Rakshana Vedike took to the streets, leading SWR to postpone the exams indefinitely.
Critics include Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah
Many feel this move is unfair to local candidates.
Critics, including the All India OBC Railway Employees Association, say dropping Kannada goes against the Official Languages Act and past Railway Board guidelines that support regional languages in exams.
Even Chief Minister Siddaramaiah called out SWR's decision and asked PM Modi to step in, while SWR claims they dropped Kannada due to logistical issues with computer-based testing.