Maharashtra withdraws 3-language scheme from schools, to constitute new panel in the face of Hindi 'imposition' row

After protests against 'imposing' Hindi, Maharashtra government on Sunday revoked its new notification regarding the three-language scheme and ruled that it would constitute a new committee in order to revisit the scheme once again and re-draft it.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis declared that the government did it during the cabinet meeting despite opposition to the government initiative to make Hindi a third language in schools.

"Under our present government, it has been decided that a committee will be formed to be led by Dr Narendra Jadhav on the modalities of the implementation of the three-language policy. We will proceed as per the committee report," Fadnavis told media persons.

We are withdrawing the current orders on three-language policy. All will be taken care of by this committee. Marathi is a median for us, he added.

Controversy came when the Mahayuti government's April guideline declared that Hindi would be automatically declared as the third language from Class 1 to Class 5 in English medium schools and Marathi medium schools in implementing the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 at primary levels.

Political, social and cultural parties had opposed the move in vociferous protests. Amidst opposition pressure, Fadnavis made a clarification that Hindi will not be imposed and students can choose any one of the state languages as third language.

The government earlier this month had released a fresh order that Hindi would "ordinarily" be the third language. The order had provided, however, an option to schools to teach an additional Indian language if a batch of more than 20 students wished to study it. Schools could either hire a teacher or provide online courses for the subjects.

Despite having the policy modified, opposition parties and campaigners have decried it, claiming the government is forcing Hindi in lieu of the local languages and cultural diversity.

The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and its head Raj Thackeray conducted large-scale protests against the policy and a call went out to Marathi speakers to protest on the streets.

Protests escalated to the extent that even Raj Thackeray went to the door of his cousin, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, in an effort to mobilize a combined protest in Mumbai against "imposition of Hindi."