Hindi Made Compulsory Third Language from Class 1 in Maharashtra Schools

Hindi Made Compulsory: Hindi will be made a compulsory third language subject for students from Classes 1 to 5 in Maharashtra, starting this academic year. The Maharashtra government announced the decision as part of the phased implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 at the school level.

The government resolution (GR) said students in Marathi- and English-medium schools will be required to learn Hindi from Class 1 onwards. It said in schools with other mediums of instruction, Marathi and English will become compulsory subjects and the language of instruction will be the third language.

Under the new policy, Maharashtra will adopt the 5+3+3+4 educational structure, with curriculum development handled locally by SCERT and Balbharati. The 5+3+3+4 educational structure, introduced by the NEP 2020 under new curriculam, divides school education into four stages: a foundational stage, a preparatory stage, a middle stage, and a secondary stage.

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“This new policy restructures the previous 10+2+3 system into a 5+3+3+4 format, covering education from foundational to higher levels. The policy is being gradually implemented in the state. It is built on five pillars: Access, Equity, Quality, Affordability, and Accountability, and aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be achieved by 2030,” Deputy Secretary of the state education department Tushar Mahajan said in a notice.

The notification said that the Maharashtra Government has formed several committees for phased implementation, including a State Steering Committee chaired by the Minister of School Education.

The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) and Balbharati will be responsible for developing the updated curriculum, textbooks, supplementary materials, and a ‘Setu Syllabus’ to help ease the transition. NCERT textbooks will also be adapted as needed.

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To support the overhaul, teacher training programs, revised school timetables, and updated examination policies will be put in place. Evaluations will now follow a more holistic model, using a ‘Holistic Progress Card’ system aimed at reducing academic stress while promoting logical and experiential learning.

The decision to make Hindi compulsory has sparked a debate among educators and experts. Vasant Kalpande, former director of school education, criticised the move. “Making Hindi mandatory is unfair,” he said. “Students should have the option of choosing among Indian languages like Tamil, Kannada or Telugu.”

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