Hindi to be Taught as Third Language in Maharashtra Schools
The Maharashtra government has issued an order stating that Hindi will be taught as a third language in Marathi and English medium schools for students in classes 1 to 5. This new policy will come into effect from the academic year 2025-26.
On June 17, the revised government order stated that Hindi would not be compulsory but would be taught "generally" as a third language. However, if at least 20 students in a class express the desire to study a language other than Hindi, they will be given the option to choose another Indian language. School Education Minister Dada Bhuse defended the decision, saying on June 18 that Hindi is widely spoken in public life, and learning it will benefit students, especially those pursuing higher education in 12th grade.
Controversy and Opposition
Marathi organizations, Congress, and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) initially criticized the government's move, accusing them of reintroducing the policy through the "back door" after initially retracting it. Congress leader Devendra Fadnavis was accused of "stabbing Marathi people in the back."
Raj Thackeray's Opposition
MNS leader Raj Thackeray challenged the government, saying that Hindi would not be imposed in Maharashtra. After increasing criticism from Congress and MNS, Chief Minister Fadnavis clarified that the "compulsory" nature of Hindi has been removed, and students now have the option to choose any Indian language as their third language.
Fadnavis dismissed the controversy as unnecessary. It is important to note that the Maharashtra School Education Department issued a government resolution on June 17 as part of the implementation of the "State Curriculum Framework for School Education 2024," which is aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. According to this order, Hindi will be taught "generally" as a third language in Marathi and English medium schools for students from classes 1 to 5.
Marathi to Remain Compulsory in All Mediums
The order also mentioned that Marathi will remain a compulsory language in all schools, regardless of the medium. It was further clarified that if students wish to study a language other than Hindi, they will need to ensure that at least 20 students in the class are interested. In such cases, a teacher will be provided, or the language will be taught online.