To promote the learning of Sindhi, the National Council for the Promotion of Sindhi Language (NCPSL) has announced a scheme where candidates appearing for the civil services exam with the language as an optional subject will be reimbursed Rs 25,000 spent as fees for coaching.
To be eligible for the fee reimbursement, candidates should have cleared the entrance or preliminary exams for the civil services and should be scheduled to take the main Indian Administrative Service (IAS) examinations. They have to provide proof of their selection for the main exams with Sindhi as the optional paper. The grant will help students pay the fees for joining a coaching class to learn the language.
Ravi Tekchandani, professor and chairman of NCPSL, said that the reimbursement of coaching fees is part of the effort to encourage young members of the Sindhi community to learn their ancestral language. “Considering that the fees for IAS coaching is more than Rs 1.5 Lakh, the money that we are providing is not much. However, we are trying to create an incentive for young members of our community to learn their language,” said Tekchandani.
Sindhi speakers said that the scheme to finance IAS aspirants was welcome. “The NCPSL has helped Sindhi writers publish books in the language. This scheme to reimburse the fees for Sindhi language coaching will encourage young people from the community to learn the language,” said Ram Jawaharani, chairman of the Global Sindhi Council.
There are no figures on the number of Sindhi speakers in the civil services. Tekchandani said that at least six candidates from the community are appearing for the latest mains exam.
The 2011 census counted 28 to 30 Lakh Sindhi speakers in the country. However, Tekchandani said the numbers could be several times that. “Panchayats and associations have said there are between 12 and 14 districts in the country that have each more than five lakh Sindhi speakers. If we add the population in other districts the total numbers could be nearly a crore, three times the census figures,” said Tekchandani who added that is an undercount of Sindhi speakers as many community members in Rajasthan and Gujarat were counted as speakers of local languages.
