Maharashtra Language Panel Opposes Mandatory Hindi In Schools, Urges CM Devndra Fadnavis To Roll Back Decision

Mumbai: Maharashtra’s language advisory committee has unanimously opposed the state government's decision to make Hindi a compulsory third language from Classes 1 to 5. The panel's Chairperson, Laxmikant Deshmukh, has formally written to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, urging an immediate reversal of the decision.

The move, which came into effect on 17 April, was introduced as part of the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP). However, the state’s language panel has now appealed for the withdrawal of the directive, citing a lack of consultation and consensus.

Rahul Ashok Rekhawar, Director of the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), clarified that the decision had been finalised by the School Education Department on 16 April.

“As per the Maharashtra Government’s directive, the School Education Department has decided to make Hindi mandatory alongside Marathi and English from Class 1 across all state board schools,” Rekhawar told ANI. “The move was taken with student development in mind, and we believe it will be beneficial in the long run.”

The opposition by the language panel comes as the decision has been facing sharp criticism from educators, language experts, and parent associations, many of whom argue that the policy was implemented without sufficient public dialogue or expert input.

Senior educator Dhanwanti Hardikar voiced concern over the opaque nature of the policy-making process. “The draft education policy shared for public feedback made no mention of Hindi being made compulsory at the primary level,” she said. “Introducing such a major change without engaging stakeholders or building public trust has understandably sparked resistance.”

Opposition parties have also condemned the move, labelling it an attempt to impose Hindi in a non-Hindi-speaking state. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray strongly criticised the decision, stating that while his party is open to inclusive policies introduced with mutual respect, any form of linguistic imposition would not be tolerated.

“The introduction of Hindi in this manner feels more like compulsion than cooperation,” Thackeray remarked. “We must question the necessity of making it compulsory, especially when such a change lacks proper consultation with the people it affects the most.”

With tensions mounting and the state’s own language panel voicing strong objections, the future of the policy remains uncertain. The committee's appeal to the Chief Minister may prompt a review or rollback of the decision in the coming weeks.