Mumbai | June 30, 2025
Ahead of the Monsoon Session of the state legislature, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced the withdrawal of two government resolutions (GRs) related to the state’s three-language policy in primary schools. These GRs, issued on April 16 and June 17, had proposed the inclusion of Hindi as a third language for students from Classes 1 to 5.
The move follows widespread backlash and political protests, including a statewide agitation by Shiv Sena (UBT), where activists symbolically burned copies of the GRs to oppose what they called the “imposition” of Hindi in schools.
Speaking to reporters at the Sahayadri Guest House after a cabinet meeting, CM Fadnavis clarified that the government has decided to cancel both GRs and has constituted a new committee led by Dr. Narendra Jadhav. This expert committee will review the three-language policy in detail, including:
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From which class it should be introduced,
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How implementation should take place, and
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What language options should be offered to students.
The Chief Minister emphasized that Marathi will continue to remain compulsory, while the third language was only meant to be optional. He reiterated that the original intent of the policy was to allow students to choose from any of the 22 Indian languages, not just Hindi. “We never made Hindi mandatory,” Fadnavis said, addressing the political storm over the issue.
Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar were also present during the announcement.
Political Context
Fadnavis also pointed fingers at the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by Uddhav Thackeray, accusing it of accepting the recommendations of the Dr. Raghunath Mashelkar Committee without any opposition. According to Fadnavis, the MVA had even approved a sub-committee to implement the policy that included both English and Hindi from Class 1. He presented documentary evidence and visuals to support his claims.
Interestingly, Fadnavis noted that a Shiv Sena (UBT) leader, Vijay Kadam, was a part of that earlier committee.
Clarification on Language Teaching
On June 26, School Education Minister Dadasaheb Bhuse clarified that for Classes 1 and 2, the third language would be taught only in spoken form, while reading and writing would begin from Class 3. He also reiterated that Hindi was not mandatory, and schools were free to choose any Indian language as the third language, subject to certain logistical conditions. If fewer than 20 students opt for a particular language, schools may use online platforms to deliver instruction.
Fadnavis concluded by saying,
“We don’t want politics in education. Our aim was to help Marathi medium students by giving them the option to earn additional academic credits through a third language.”
He assured that the government will make a final decision after wide-ranging consultations with academicians, literary figures, language experts, and political parties.
