Darjeeling MP Raju Bista demands West Bengal CM to restore language options in WBCS exam

Member of Parliament from Darjeeling and BJP National Spokesperson, Raju Bista, has written to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee raising concerns over the exclusion of key language options in the upcoming West Bengal Civil Services (WBCS) 2025 examination. The move, he says, is unfair and discriminatory toward students from Gorkha and Adivasi communities.

According to Notification No. 1060-PAR(WBCS)/1D-179/21 issued on July 24, 2024, the West Bengal government has revised the examination scheme and syllabus for the WBCS 2025. Two major changes in the notification have caused widespread concern. First, Nepali has been removed from the list of optional subjects in the Mains exam. Second, both Santhali and Hindi have been excluded from the list of language options for General Paper A.

These changes have directly affected a large number of students who speak Nepali, Santhali, or Hindi as their mother tongue. Many of them come from the Hill areas and tribal communities of North Bengal and have studied in schools where these languages are the main medium of instruction. Without the option to write papers in their preferred languages, these students now face serious challenges in appearing for the exam.

MP Bista said he received representations from various student groups, including the Hills Student Union (HSA), North Bengal University students, and the All Bengal Adivasi Students’ Association (ABASA). All these groups have expressed deep concern about the revised syllabus and its impact on linguistic minorities.

In his letter, Bista reminded the state government that this change goes against the spirit of the Constitution. He pointed to Articles 14, 15, and 16, which provide all citizens with equality before the law, protection against discrimination, and equal opportunity in public employment. He argued that removing language options based on mother tongue and education medium amounts to clear discrimination.

“This is not just a procedural issue; this is a matter of educational justice and basic equality,” Bista said. “The students from Gorkha and Adivasi backgrounds are being penalized for studying in their native languages. This is wrong and needs to be corrected.”

He has requested that the state government immediately suspend the implementation of the notification and begin consultations with all affected communities. He urged the Chief Minister to take swift and fair action to ensure that the rights of all students are protected.