Facing strong resistance from opposition parties and sections of Marathi civil society, the Maharashtra government has withdrawn its controversial move to make Hindi a compulsory subject in primary schools.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, speaking at a press conference on the eve of the state‑assembly session, announced the cancellation of two Government Resolutions (GRs) issued earlier by the School Education Department for Classes 1 to 5.
The first GR had made Hindi compulsory from Classes 1 to 5, drawing sharp criticism from political parties, Marathi literary figures and civil‑society groups. A subsequent, “revised” GR said Hindi would be optional—offered only if at least 20 pupils in a class chose it—but the opposition called this a “back‑door” attempt to impose the language.
Clarifying the government’s stand, Fadnavis said, “For us, the Marathi language and Marathi students are of utmost importance. Our policy will remain student‑centric, not politically motivated.”
He announced a committee headed by former Planning Commission member Dr Narendra Jadhav to study the earlier Mashelkar Committee report and address concerns raised by stakeholders. “Only after receiving this panel’s recommendations will the government decide how to implement the three‑language formula,” he added.
Fadnavis warned that failure to implement the formula could disadvantage Marathi‑medium pupils under the Academic Bank of Credit system, while benefiting those whose first language is Gujarati or English.
Taking a swipe at the opposition, the Chief Minister claimed its letter on the issue contained “24 grammatical mistakes” in Marathi and criticised Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray for “doing nothing” for Marathi speakers while the party controlled the BMC.
Fadnavis also noted that the Mashelkar report had been accepted by Thackeray’s own cabinet, accusing the opposition of politicising the issue now. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar urged parties to call off their protest march slated for 5 July in view of the GR withdrawals.
Concluding, Fadnavis said, “Twelve Bills and six Ordinances will be tabled this session. We appeal to the opposition to participate constructively; the three‑week schedule ensures everyone’s voice is heard.”
