Backlash effect: CM doubles down, says Hindi is not compulsory from Class 1-5

MUMBAI: After his assurances on Sunday against an imposition of Hindi in the state’s education system, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis reiterated his stand at the cabinet on Tuesday. He said there will be no compulsion of Hindi as the third language in schools in Maharashtra from Class 1-5, and that although the three-language formula in the state is a mainstay, Hindi will be an optional language along with 15 others such as Tamil, Malayalam, Gujarati etc.

Alongside, facing public backlash, the Maharashtra state education department dropped the word “compulsory” from its earlier government resolution (GR) dated April 16 regarding the study of Hindi in schools, as an extension of the CM’s point of view.

At the cabinet on Tuesday, Fadnavis said, “The three-language formula under central government’s New Education Policy (NEP) makes it mandatory for students to learn at least three languages. But barring Marathi, other two languages would be a voluntary choice for them.” He assured that the state government would ensure teachers are appointed to teach the languages students opt for, if the minimum number of the students in the class is 20. “If there is an inadequate number of students, they will be provided online education in the language,” he said.

While the state is moving forward with the implementation of the three-language formula from Class 1 in state schools, students will now have the freedom to choose Hindi instead of being forced to study it. Education minister Dadaji Bhuse confirmed the change at a press conference at Mantralaya on Tuesday, adding that a revised GR will be issued soon to reflect this decision.

“Maharashtra is fully committed to implementing NEP 2020. Our goal is to equip students with the skills needed to compete nationally and globally,” said Bhuse. “While Marathi remains compulsory and English continues as a key medium of instruction, we initially made Hindi mandatory as a third language from Class 1. However, taking into account the sentiments of the people, we have decided to keep Hindi optional.”

The reversal comes after strong opposition from political parties and civil society. Fadnavis had addressed the issue over the weekend, which was reported by HT. The education department followed this up with a change in its policy.

The decision was also based on the recommendations of the state’s NEP steering committee, which, during a meeting held on September 9, 2024, suggested implementing the three-language policy starting from Class 1. According to Bhuse, earlier Hindi was selected as the third language due to its script’s similarity to Marathi, making it easier for students to learn.

He also cited paragraph 4.13 of NEP 2020, which allows states and regions the flexibility to choose the three languages, as long as two are Indian languages. “This isn’t a directive from the Union government,” Bhuse clarified. “But to ensure our students are on par with those in other states, we introduced the third language in line with the NEP.”

Bhuse emphasised the state’s commitment to providing inclusive, high-quality and joyful education. He also stated that Maharashtra will integrate beneficial elements from the CBSE curriculum while retaining the essence of state-specific subjects like history and geography as prescribed by the Maharashtra State Board and Balbharati.