Maharashtra Government Withdraws Hindi as Third Language in Schools

In a significant policy shift, the Maharashtra government has retracted its decision to implement Hindi as a mandatory third language for students in Classes 1 to 5. This move comes amid rising tensions and protests regarding language education in the state. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced the formation of a new committee to guide the implementation of the National Education Policy's three-language formula. The decision reflects the government's commitment to prioritizing Marathi in its educational framework. As the state prepares for the Monsoon Session of the Assembly, the implications of this reversal are being closely monitored by various political factions and the public alike.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jun 29, 2025, 20:43 IST

Maharashtra's Language Policy Update

The Maharashtra government has decided to retract its earlier resolutions that mandated Hindi to be taught as a third language for students in Classes 1 to 5 at Marathi and English medium schools. This decision was reported on Sunday.

As the Monsoon Session of the state Assembly approaches, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced the formation of a new committee, headed by former Rajya Sabha MP Narendra Jadhav, to provide guidance on the implementation of the National Education Policy's three-language formula.

This move follows a significant controversy sparked by the Mahayuti government's order on June 17, which designated Hindi as a language to be 'generally' taught in schools.

The Mahayuti coalition includes the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Shiv Sena faction led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and the Nationalist Congress Party group under Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.

According to the previous order, if a minimum of 20 students in a grade express interest in learning another Indian language, they could opt out of Hindi. In such cases, the school would either appoint a teacher or provide online instruction for the chosen language.

On Friday, the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) announced plans for a joint protest against the three-language policy alongside Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena on July 5.

Later, Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar emphasized that the people of Maharashtra are not opposed to Hindi but believe it should not be imposed on primary school students.

Fadnavis stated that the government will await the committee's report before making decisions regarding the implementation of the three-language formula.

He affirmed, 'Marathi and the Marathi student are at the core of our policy,' emphasizing that the language policy will prioritize Marathi.

The Mahayuti government has encountered criticism regarding its language policy on two occasions this year.

On April 16, it had announced plans to implement the 2020 National Education Policy starting in the academic year 2025-2026, which would have made Hindi compulsory as a third language for students in Classes 1 to 5.

This change aimed to replace the existing two-language system with a three-language framework.

However, on April 20, a language consultation committee appointed by the state government opposed the decision to make Hindi mandatory in primary schools.

Subsequently, on April 22, the government suspended its earlier order, stating that while the three-language policy would still be enacted, students would not be required to learn Hindi as their third language.

The three-language formula, which includes English, Hindi, and the native language of the state, was first introduced in the National Education Policy of 1968 and has been retained in the 2020 policy.