CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu assembly on Friday passed a bill making Tamil language paper compulsory in direct recruitment for government posts.The bill tabled by finance minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan introduces an amendment in the Tamil Nadu Government Servants (conditions of services) Act, 2016, according to which "any person who applies for recruitment to any post in any service by direct recruitment shall pass the Tamil language paper in the examination conducted for the recruitment with not less than forty percent marks".Earlier, the Act enabled candidates without the knowledge of Tamil to apply for direct recruitment of government posts and they were mandated to clear Tamil language paper within two years of their appointment.

Finance minister said that there were several "irregularities" observed in candidates clearing Tamil language paper and so Tamil language paper has been made mandatory at the time of direct recruitment itself.When the bill was moved in the assembly, Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi founder T Velmurugan said that still the bill does not pave way for 100 percent recruitment of Tamil youth as it says that "any person" who applies for the recruitment with a knowledge of Tamil will be given jobs.Finance minister replied that when the state government issued a GO in December 2021, making Tamil mandatory in the direct recruitment of government jobs, it was struck down by the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court.

He said the bill will give statutory effect to the GO and if there are any further changes needed, amendments can be introduced to the Act later.