In a significant policy reversal, the Maharashtra government has officially scrapped two government resolutions aimed at introducing Hindi as a compulsory third language in schools across the state. The move came after widespread protests, heated political opposition, and growing concerns about an assault on the linguistic pride of Marathi-speaking citizens.

The three-language policy was originally designed in line with the National Education Policy 2020, which recommends the teaching of three languages to promote multilingualism and national unity. Under this framework, the state government had issued a government resolution in April mandating that Hindi be taught as a third language in Marathi and English medium schools from Class 1 to 5. Later, an amended resolution in June tried to soften the stance by allowing a choice of other languages if at least 20 students opted for them, but still kept Hindi as the default third language in schools.

This framework, however, sparked severe political and social resistance. Several opposition parties, including the Shiv Sena (UBT), Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, the Congress, and factions of the NCP, labeled it as an unfair attempt to impose Hindi on the children of Maharashtra at the cost of Marathi language and culture. Protests erupted in major cities such as Mumbai, Pune, and Kolhapur, with activists arguing that this policy would threaten the primacy of Marathi in early education and violate the state’s commitment to regional linguistic identity.

Political leaders within the ruling alliance itself began to express unease about the plan. They raised fears that the introduction of Hindi from Class 1 might overburden small children, especially those in Marathi-medium schools, who were already expected to learn English and Marathi. There was also concern about limiting parental choice and undermining the democratic character of school curriculums.

The backlash forced the state cabinet to hold an urgent meeting to review the situation. In that meeting, ministers agreed that pushing the three-language policy forward in its current form risked inflaming public sentiment further. As a result, the cabinet unanimously withdrew both the April and June resolutions, acknowledging that the framework needed to be reconsidered in a more inclusive and culturally sensitive manner.

To address the situation constructively, the state government decided to form a high-level committee headed by educational policy expert Dr. Narendra Jadhav. This committee will analyze the objectives of the three-language policy in detail, studying issues such as the appropriate class in which to introduce the third language, how to protect parental and student choice, and how to balance Marathi’s priority in the school curriculum while aligning with national guidelines. The committee has been granted up to three months to deliver its recommendations, after which the government will decide on any future course of action.

The episode underlines how deeply rooted language sentiments remain in Maharashtra. For decades, local parties and cultural groups have prioritized the promotion and protection of Marathi language and identity, considering them essential to the state’s heritage and political character. Any attempt that is seen to compromise this cultural foundation faces immediate and often fierce pushback.

This controversy also highlights the ongoing tensions in Indian education policy between the aims of national integration, which encourage a common linguistic platform, and the need to safeguard regional languages and cultures that are equally central to the country’s diversity. Maharashtra’s decision to roll back its three-language plan demonstrates that the implementation of the National Education Policy cannot ignore local linguistic and cultural realities.