The state government had appointed the Narendra Jadhav Committee to review Maharashtra’s three-language policy and suggest improvements. After holding public meetings in Ratnagiri, Kolhapur, and Nagpur, the committee observed growing concerns and opinions among citizens.
Many participants expressed support for the concept of learning three languages. However, they felt that this policy should start from 5th standard rather than 1st standard.
Committee chairman Prof. Narendra Jadhav stated that the committee has received a “tremendous response” from the public and relevant stakeholders. Citizens are actively participating in shaping the policy. He added, “People agree to start learning three languages, but they prefer it to begin from the 5th standard. Many also suggested that even after 5th standard, Hindi should not be imposed, and students should have the freedom to choose other languages.”
The committee is currently collecting online feedback from various groups, including parents, teachers, and education experts.
Prof. Jadhav mentioned that five more public meetings are yet to be held across different regions of the state. “After all meetings are completed and online responses analyzed, the final report will be prepared. We are making efforts to submit it by the government’s deadline of December 5,” he said.
He also noted that citizens have appreciated the committee’s effort to gather public opinion before implementing major education reforms. “People are praising this initiative and expect the government to conduct such exercises regularly before introducing new policies,” he added.
The committee was formed earlier this year to develop a comprehensive language policy in line with the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020. On October 8, the committee released a public questionnaire to seek feedback from citizens, organisations, and education sector stakeholders. The responses will help the committee prepare its final recommendations.
After the state government decided on April 16 to make Marathi, English, and Hindi compulsory from grades 1 to 5, several organisations and political parties expressed strong opposition. The Thackeray brothers also came together against this policy.
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