Chennai: Which process during wastewater treatment helps in killing germs? - a) Aeration (b) Chlorination (c) Sedimentation (d) Flocculation. That was one of the questions asked by the Madras high court to workers who had recently applied for the post of sweeper and sanitary workers at the high court.
The other one-word questions asked during the test were ‘Which is the ancient Tamil book’; ‘Which is the national tree’; ‘Why do objects fall to the ground’ and ‘When did the Constitution of India come into existence’.
While a section of learned advocates who were interacting with DC said they were irrelevant questions, another section said that things had changed.
Sweeping and sanitation is now part of upgraded housekeeping, which needs basic knowledge among those who work on it.
Some of the questions did leave the sanitary workers baffled. Others were floored because they were illiterate. The test, conducted on October 8, lasted for an hour and was bilingual (Tamil and English). The exam paper, which had Part A and Part B were for 50 marks. It is interesting that the keys to the answers were also released on the official website of Madras High Court.
“I came to know about the test and was upset with the type of questions asked”, said S. Purushothaman, president, Chennai Managarathchi Anaithu Uzhiyar Sangam. Most of the people who do sanitary works are illiterate and even the state government appoints sanitary workers without any educational qualification and for this reason, there is no written test.
“There is nothing wrong in conducting tests, but setting tough questions for those eyeing sweeper posts is not realistic. The court should reconsider the tests. Checking the attitude of the employee and health check-up could be more relevant”, said Purushothaman.
A source in Madras HC told DC that there were Plus-2 students and graduates with correspondent degrees applying for the post. “You may call it sanitary works and sweeping, but we look at it as housekeeping where basic knowledge is essential. Further, Madras high court is a dignified place that deserves neatness and commitment from its workers. Gone are the days, where sweeping was only done by Adi Dravidars, now people from all communities— graduates or not— apply for government jobs”, the source pointed out.
Further, these are objective type of questions just to check the aspirants’ levels of knowledge, the source added. “I myself do not know the answers to a few questions and was surprised by the questionnaire. The test for sanitary workers is the hot topic doing the rounds among the legal fraternity in the high court”, said an advocate who practises there.
Some of the questions asked
Q Objects thrown upwards always come down due to
(a) Magnetic force (b) Gravitational force
(c) Frictional force
(d) Electromotive force
Q Whose river was Kaveri?
(a)Pallava (b) Chera (c) Chola (d) Pandya
Q Which is the ancient book in Tamil?
a) Tirukkural
(b) Tholkappiam
(c) Purananuru
(d) Agathiyam
Q Our Constitution came into existence on
(a) 26th March
(b) 26th January
(c) 15th August
(d) 25th April 1948
Q Our National Tree is
(a) Coconut tree
(b) Banyan tree
(c) Mango tree
(d) Neem tree
Q What do you call the plains?
(a) Kurinji
(b) Marudham
(c) Mullai (d) Palai
Q Who has tiger in the flag?
(a) Pandya (b) Chera (c) Chola
(d) Pallava
