Maharashtra makes Hindi mandatory third language in schools

NEW DELHI: The Maharashtra government has announced that Hindi will now be taught as a mandatory third language in all Marathi and English-medium schools across the state, starting from Class 1 to 5. According to a new Government Resolution (GR) issued by the School Education and Sports Department, this policy aligns with the state's updated education curriculum under the National Education Policy 2020. The GR clarifies that Marathi remains the first language, followed by English or Hindi as the second language, depending on the medium of instruction. However, Hindi must now be introduced as a third language, making it compulsory in both English and Marathi-medium schools.

The rule applies to all schools following the state board curriculum. For students who wish to learn an additional language beyond these three, the school must have at least 20 willing students to start a separate class.