Representatives of youths and students of the tribal community have raised strong objections to a notification issued by the West Bengal Public Service Commission (WBPSC), which mandates Bengali or Nepali as the only compulsory language papers for candidates appearing in the West Bengal Civil Service (WBCS) exams.

Michelle Tirkey, a representative of the Dooars Terai Adivasi Students’ Forum (DTASF), pointed out that the notification was issued in July last year, saying Bengali or Nepali was mandatory for the candidates.

“It mandates Bengali or Nepali as the only compulsory language papers for candidates appearing in the upcoming state public service and police service examinations. This has led to discontentment among the tribal students and youths, especially those who have pursued their education in Hindi or Santali medium,” he said.

“As the preliminary and main examinations are scheduled for July 2025, we believe the tribal candidates are denied equal opportunity solely because of linguistic constraints,” Tirkey added.

The tribal youths said a 300-mark compulsory language paper (Bengali or Nepali) with a qualifying threshold of 30 per cent effectively disqualifies many students from the Terai and the Dooars.

“Around 65 per cent of the population in both these areas is tribal people. We are not against Bengali or Nepali being part of the system, but excluding Hindi and Santali is a direct attack on the aspirations of tribal youths in this region. How can the state claim inclusivity while shutting the door on a major portion of its population?” asked Joy Prafful Lakra, the convenor of DTASF.

According to them, no corrective action has been taken so far. “We have decided to continue our movement and will submit a memorandum to draw the state’s attention,”
he added.

Roshan Ekka, president of the North Bengal Tribal Youth Association, and Jeraldina Muchwar, a DTASF member and representative of the Adivasi Students Association at North Bengal University, have also supported the demand.

“This is not just a language issue. It is about equal access to opportunity, dignity, and representation in state services. The state government and PSC should decide on it,”
said Ekka.

“Despite preparing hard and having the required qualifications, the tribal youths will be sidelined for not being able to write Bengali or Nepali. This is unacceptable,”
Muchwar said.