Maharashtra Mandates Hindi as Third Language for Primary Classes, Sparks Row
The Maharashtra government has issued a new directive making Hindi the default third language for students in Classes 1 to 5 in all Marathi and English medium schools. The move, part of the new State Curriculum Framework, has immediately sparked a controversy, with critics and opposition parties terming it a “backdoor imposition” of Hindi.
According to the new Government Resolution (GR) issued by the School Education and Sports Department, while Marathi will remain a compulsory language across all schools, Hindi will now be the third language for primary students.
The government has, however, included a condition. Schools can offer another Indian language as an alternative to Hindi, but only if a minimum of 20 students in a single class opt for it. The GR states that if this condition is met, schools must arrange for a teacher, or failing that, provide instruction for the alternative language online.
This new rule has been met with skepticism and anger, as it follows a similar attempt by the government in April this year to make Hindi compulsory, which was rolled back after intense political backlash from parties like the MNS, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (SP). Critics argue that the 20-student threshold is impractical for most schools and is designed to ensure Hindi remains the only viable option.
“This is nothing but the backdoor imposition of Hindi,” claimed Deepak Pawar of the Mumbai-based Marathi Bhasha Abhyas Kendra.
The Maharashtra Congress has also slammed the move. State Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal accused the BJP-led government of deceiving the public. “This is BJP’s anti-Maharashtra agenda and a conspiracy to eliminate the Marathi language, Marathi identity and Marathi people,” he alleged.
For schools with mediums of instruction other than Marathi and English, the three-language formula will consist of the medium language, Marathi, and English. The Commissioner of Education in Pune has been directed to ensure the immediate implementation of the new rules across the state. The decision is expected to continue to generate significant political debate.
