THE English language is the heart and soul of civil service examinations and one cannot qualify them without being familiar with the language.

It has been observed that every year many students are unable to clear the CSS examinations owing to lack of proficiency in English.

One cannot deny the fact that the nation of Pakistan is still under language imperialism.

We may have got our independence from the British, but we are still enslaved by their language.

A few provisions have been made to facilitate CSS candidates because students who sit the examinations come from different fields, such as engineering, medical, arts, etc.

For instance, general knowledge subjects, like Pakistan Studies, current affairs, general science etc., have been merged to form one group carrying 300 marks of which one has to secure 120.

However, no provisions have been considered for the English language subjects (essay, precis and composition).

If these subjects are also merged to form a group, then one will have to secure 80 marks out of the total 200.

This step may not be enough to overcome the language barrier, but it can give a ray of hope to CSS aspirants who may be competent but not fluent in English language.

Naif Memon
Hyderabad

Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2021