Marathi Marches In, Hindi Steps Aside: Maharashtra’s Multilingual Makeover

Maharashtra's New School Language Policy: What's Changed?

Maharashtra state government has announced a fresh order on the school language policy that Marathi will remain a mandatory subject for all schools, and Hindi will be taught "generally" as the third language but is not mandatory for students from Classes 1 to 5 in Marathi and English medium schools. This follows months of controversy and policy flip-flops, with the state government finally waking up to the NEP 2020.

 

Key Highlights

 

Marathi Mandatory in All Schools: Marathi is a mandatory subject in all of the schools, further cementing its position as the state's de facto language.

 

Hindi as Third Language—Optional: Hindi will be taught as the third language in Classes 1 to 5 "generally," but students will be free to study another Indian language if at least 20 students of each class so desire. If fewer than 20 students desire another one, the subject will be imparted through online mode.

 

Opt-Out Provision: The policy is not rigid—students have the option to take another Indian language (e.g., Gujarati or Kannada) as the third language, provided the 20-student quota is met.

 

Backlash and Political Reactions: The move has been criticized by language activists and opposition parties, who have accused it of being a "backdoor" attempt to impose Hindi. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Education Minister Dada Bhuse have defended the decision, stating that imposing Hindi has been done away with and the controversy is not justified.

 

NEP Alignment: The policy is part of the State Curriculum Framework for School Education 2024 and is aligned with the NEP 2020, which supports multilingualism and the flexibility of learning languages.

 

Present Policy for Upper Classes: The language policy is the same for Classes 6 to 10.

 

Source: Hindustan Times, Times of India, Economic Times