The Maharashtra government has put on hold its decision to make Hindi a mandatory third language for students from Classes 1 to 5, following strong objections from the State’s Language Consultation Committee, according to a media report, citing the School Education Minister.
The decision was stayed after Laxmikant Deshmukh, chairperson of the Language Consultation Committee, openly opposed the move. On Sunday, the committee had written to the Chief Minister, requesting a withdrawal of the April 16 directive. In the letter, they argued that the decision lacked academic justification and was “not in tune with students’ psychology.”
The directive was part of Maharashtra’s implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP), which includes introducing Hindi as a third language from Class 1. However, the move drew sharp criticism on social media, with opposition parties leading the charge.
Maharashtra is now the second major state, after Tamil Nadu, to face strong resistance against making a third language compulsory at the primary level. The original proposal was based on recommendations from a committee headed by a state minister.
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