The Maharashtra government has revised its earlier decision on language policy in schools, stating in a fresh notification on Tuesday that Hindi will now be the default third language. Back in April, the state had made Hindi mandatory for primary students in all Marathi and English-medium schools — a move that triggered sharp criticism.
The announcement drew backlash from the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, as well as from Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), a party usually considered supportive of the BJP-led government. The policy also reignited the ongoing debate over ‘Hindi imposition,’ a long-standing concern among non-Hindi-speaking states that fear their regional languages are being sidelined.
Facing mounting pressure, the government rolled back the decision just five days later. School Education Minister Dada Bhuse announced that the order had been put on hold, while Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis clarified that only Marathi would remain a compulsory language for school students in the state.
But in yesterday’s revised notification, the School Education Department said Hindi would not be ‘compulsory’ but it will be the ‘generally’ taught third language from Class I to V, a move Marathi outfits slammed as trying to introduce it via the ‘backdoor’ after the state’s backtrack.
Students can, however, opt for other languages if they want, the notification said.
There must, though, be a minimum of 20 students in a class who want to learn another language. If that threshold is met, the school will make that subject available.
And, if the school cannot find a teacher for that language, classes will be held online.
Marathi remains a compulsory subject for all school students in the state.
However, the revised notification has also raised red flags, with educators saying the threshold of 20 students is an unreasonably high number. Vasant Kalpande, ex-Chairperson of the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, made that point.
“The provision to make teachers available online is also an attempt to discourage students from opting for any language other than Hindi…” he told to the media, “Marathi and Hindi have similar scripts but it will be too much for young students to learn both…”
The three-language policy – under which Hindi is now the default third language in Maharashtra – is part of the federal government’s revised National Education Policy from 2020.
But non-Hindi speaking states – Tamil Nadu, in particular – have been on the warpath, arguing against a policy requirement for students from Class VII and above to learn a third language.
The emphasis on introducing a third language in schools has been widely viewed as an attempt to impose Hindi, especially since most schools already offer English and the regional language as part of the curriculum.
The ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu has opposed this aspect of the National Education Policy (NEP), arguing that the state’s existing two-language system has worked effectively. Tamil Nadu, a major contributor to the national economy, has long followed this policy.
The BJP, on the other hand, has defended the NEP, claiming it will help students who travel or work in other parts of the country. The party has also clarified that the policy does not make studying Hindi mandatory.
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