THIS is with reference to Lahore High Court’s decision that CSS examinations should be conducted in Urdu from next year.

Books recommended in the CSS syllabus are written by foreign authors and all are in English.

One who knows about CSS subjects and preparation can easily understand my point. How can we get translations of these international books?

Each subject has its own language, special terminology which can be difficult to study in Urdu. For instance, if a candidate opts for International Relations and he has done his master’s in that subject, it is illogical to study this subject in Urdu.

Those who give examples of China should understand that their medium of instruction has remained Chinese throughout their history, but the Pakistani education system has produced two classes of students — Urdu medium from government institutes and English medium from private institutions.

So it will take a decade to switch over to Urdu. First the government should introduce Urdu from primary level before switching over to Urdu in CSS. At the moment, there should be a choice for both classes of students to appear in CSS examinations.

Maria Saleem

Abbottabad

Published in Dawn, March 11th, 2017