Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai
Mumbai, Apr 22: In a significant reversal, the Maharashtra government on Tuesday announced that Hindi will not be made a compulsory third language for students in classes 1 to 5 in English and Marathi medium schools for the academic year 2025-26. This decision comes after facing intense criticism and strong opposition from various political parties, regional leaders, and education stakeholders.
State Minister of School Education, Dadaji Bhuse, clarified that Hindi will remain an optional subject for now, adding that a decision regarding its compulsory status would be taken after a thorough consultation process. “For now, we will keep Hindi as an optional subject. Those students who are interested in learning Hindi will be taught along with Marathi and English,” Bhuse stated, assuring that a government notification in this regard will be issued soon.
The initial proposal, which had sparked widespread protests, aimed to make Hindi mandatory alongside Marathi and English for students in Marathi and English medium schools. Opponents, including opposition parties and regional leaders, argued that making Hindi compulsory threatened the Marathi identity and language.
In response to the uproar, Bhuse explained, "The notification issued on April 16 had said that Hindi would be mandatory in these schools, but after further scrutiny, we have decided to keep it optional for now. Marathi remains the priority, followed by English, and Hindi was intended as a third language. However, any other language could be introduced as an option, and teachers would need to be trained accordingly."
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had previously emphasized that Hindi was not meant to replace Marathi. “Marathi is mandatory, and the new education policy allows students to learn three languages, two of which must be Indian,” Fadnavis clarified, adding that Hindi was one of the potential options but not the only one.
The decision had led to significant political reactions. The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena-UBT and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), led by Raj Thackeray, both vocally opposed the move, with MNS warning of protests if the decision wasn't revoked. The Congress party also expressed concern, alleging that the decision was part of a broader attempt to undermine Marathi language and culture.
Additionally, the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) warned that any move to weaken Marathi under the guise of the New Education Policy would not be tolerated. The state’s language consultation committee, led by Laxmikant Deshmukh, had urged the government to reconsider its stance, claiming that their suggestions had not been adequately considered before the announcement.
As of now, the Maharashtra government has decided to defer the mandatory status of Hindi, allowing for further discussions and consultations before any future decisions are made.