Policy U-Turn on Hindi Fails To Clear Confusion; Experts Warn Schools May Default To Hindi Amid Lack Of Clarity

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government’s decision to once again render Hindi an optional subject in schools, following considerable public backlash, has been met with concern from education experts and school administrators.

With less than two months remaining before the commencement of the new academic year, the frequent policy reversals and lack of definitive curricular guidance are creating uncertainty.

Education activist and president of the Mumbai parents, teachers and students association, Nitin Dalvi, criticised the state’s ad-hoc approach. “The arbitrary and abrupt directives issued by the government have left both parents and schools in a state of utter confusion,” Dalvi remarked.

While Hindi is no longer compulsory, the third language remains a mandatory component for primary-level students. According to the revised directive, schools may offer regional language options—such as Urdu, Kannada, or Gujarati—based on student demand. Maharashtra’s School Education Minister, Dadaji Bhuse, affirmed that institutions will be allowed to teach languages based on the preferences of their student bodies.

However ambiguity remains over the implementation of the three-language formula and school managements and educationists fear that, without concrete guidance, many institutions might default to teaching Hindi.

Former chairman of the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, Vasant Kalpande, noted “Most concerning is the absence of a structured curriculum for regional language alternatives. As it stands, only Hindi has an established curriculum, which may pressure resource-constrained schools into defaulting to it.”

Despite the apparent flexibility to offer other languages, many schools are hesitant to commit without further instruction. Trustee of Anjuman-I-Islam Educational Institutions, Nazma Kazi, revealed that her school is considering offering Urdu as a third language. “We are in a position to introduce Urdu, given our existing infrastructure and trained teaching staff,” she said.

“However, we cannot proceed without official guidelines and parental consensus. Until then, no final decision can be taken.” The institution already runs Urdu-medium schools as well as offers it as a compulsory subject to students from class 6.

Dalvi, echoing similar concerns, pointed out that the state already accommodates schools operating in various mediums, including Gujarati and Kannada.

He emphasised that elementary-level educational content for several Indian languages is readily available and can be adapted for broader use. However, he underscored the pressing need for a clear and uniform set of guidelines to facilitate effective implementation.