Sat Jul 05 20:30:00 UTC 2025: **Maharashtra Scraps Hindi Language Policy Amidst Widespread Opposition**

**Mumbai, July 6, 2025** – The Maharashtra government has withdrawn its controversial orders mandating Hindi as a third language in primary education across Marathi and English medium State Board schools. The decision comes after weeks of intense backlash from regional linguistic groups, academics, civil society, and political figures who viewed the move as an imposition of Hindi and an attempt at “cultural hegemony.”

The initial order, issued on April 16, 2025, cited the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 as its basis for making Hindi compulsory from Grade 1 to Grade 5. Critics argued that the NEP actually emphasizes mother-tongue instruction and that burdening young children with three languages was unnecessary.

Opposition intensified with a revised order on June 17th, which made Hindi a “general” third language, offering students the option to study other Indian languages if at least 20 students requested it. This was seen as a thinly veiled attempt to push Hindi through the “backdoor.”

The linguistic debate has also triggered political realignment. Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, known for its emphasis on Marathi identity, gained traction, and the controversy even facilitated a rare reunion between Thackeray cousins, Uddhav and Raj, who held joint rallies against the government’s policy.

Amidst the turmoil, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced the formation of a committee, led by economist Dr. Narendra Jadhav, to review the three-language policy. However, concerns have been raised regarding Dr. Jadhav’s expertise in school education, leading to demands for the committee’s dissolution and the complete abolishment of the three-language policy.

“We will not accept the three-language policy,” declared Sanjay Raut, a leader from the Shiv Sena UBT party. The ongoing debate is expected to continue shaping the political landscape of Maharashtra as the state heads towards local body elections.

Read More