The Maharashtra government has changed its plan to make Hindi a mandatory third language in primary schools after criticism and political opposition. A revised Government Resolution (GR) was issued by the state school education department on Tuesday, June 17.
The new rules say:
Hindi will generally be the third language in Marathi and English-medium schools. However, students from Classes 1 to 5 studying in Marathi and English-medium schools can choose to study another Indian language instead of Hindi.
This option will be available if at least 20 students in a class express interest in learning that language.
If fewer than 20 students choose it, the subject will be taught online.
The updated GR is based on the State Curriculum Framework – School Education 2024.
Policy also explains the language structure for schools where the medium of instruction is neither Marathi nor English. Students in such schools will study three languages: English, Marathi (which remains compulsory), and their medium of instruction.
The same framework will continue to apply to students from Classes 6 to 10 as per the existing curriculum rules. There is no change in the policy for these classes.
In April, protests began after the government announced that Hindi would be a compulsory subject in primary schools. The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and other opposition parties strongly opposed the move, calling it an attempt to impose Hindi.
In response, State School Education Minister Dada Bhuse promised to revise the decision and paused the earlier resolution. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also faced pressure from the state’s linguistic consultation group to reverse the decision.
The new GR keeps Marathi as a compulsory subject in all schools but now gives students the freedom to choose their third language. The goal is to provide more flexibility in language learning while keeping the core structure of the curriculum.
However, the late announcement caused confusion. Schools had already started, and many parents, teachers, and schools were unclear about the rules. Some political leaders even visited schools and told staff not to teach Hindi. Because of the lack of clear instructions, many students had already selected Hindi as their third language.