'Hindi No Longer Compulsory In Schools, Will Be Optional,' Says Maharashtra School Education Minister Dadaji Bhuse
Mumbai: Following strong opposition from various quarters to the decision of making Hindi compulsory from Classes 1 to 5, the state government on Tuesday announced that Hindi would no longer be mandatory but optional.
School Education Minister Dada Bhuse faced a barrage of questions from journalists at the Mantralaya regarding the controversial move. He said there had been discussion on the subject for an hour and a half after which it was decided to withdraw the term "compulsory.” He further stated that, in light of the widespread opposition, Hindi will now be treated as an optional subject. A revised Government Resolution would soon be issued, allowing students to choose their third language. Hindi is part of the three-language formula under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, but not mandatory, Bhuse said.
About The Row
The initial proposal to replace the existing two-language structure with a three-language model, making Hindi compulsory along with English and Marathi, sparked strong opposition. There have also been allegations that the move to make Hindi compulsory in Maharashtra schools is part of the Central government’s agenda.
Addressing the media at Mantralaya, Bhuse said, “The central government has not made any language compulsory under NEP. Hindi is optional, not compulsory. We will revise the GR.”
Dadaji Bhuse Explains Govt's Stand
Explaining the government’s stand, he said Hindi shares similarities with Marathi and uses the same script (Devanagari), which makes it easier for students to learn. “Hindi is already taught from Class 5. The idea behind introducing it from Class 1 was to make learning smoother. Marathi and English will remain compulsory. If students prefer another language as their third option, we’ll assess interest and the availability of teachers,” he added.
Two days ago, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had hinted at a rethink on the decision to make Hindi compulsory. He said, “Under the New Education Policy, teaching three languages in schools is mandatory, and two of them must be Indian. Since we already have an adequate number of Hindi teachers across the state, it was suggested as the third compulsory language. If we opt for other Indian languages like Tamil, Gujarati, Kannada, or Malayalam, we currently lack sufficient teaching staff.” However, he added that the government will soon take a decision allowing students to choose another Indian language instead of Hindi as their third language.
“If more than 20 students opt for an alternative language, a dedicated teacher can be appointed. For smaller groups, provisions such as online classes can be arranged,” he said.
The original GR issued on April 16 had made Hindi compulsory from Class 1, which triggered strong reactions across the political spectrum. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray warned that such a move would not be tolerated. “Forcing Hindi from Class 1 in Maharashtra is unacceptable. Hindi textbooks will not be allowed to be sold in stores or distributed by schools,” he said, urging school administrations to take note.
The Congress party also opposed the decision. Its leader, Vijay Wadettiwar, stated that if a third language is required, it should be optional. The growing backlash even brought together political rivals Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray in a rare show of unity to oppose what they see as an imposition on Marathi and an encroachment on Maharashtra’s linguistic identity
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