Controversy Brews Over Mandatory Hindi in Maharashtra Schools

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar criticizes opposition to the mandatory inclusion of Hindi as a third language in Maharashtra schools. The move, part of NEP 2020, faces resistance from political figures, while Pawar emphasizes Marathi's unyielding significance and government's past acknowledgment of Marathi as a classical language.

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has voiced sharp criticism against political parties opposing Maharashtra's mandate to introduce Hindi as a mandatory third language for students in classes 1 to 5 across the state's Marathi and English-medium schools.

Pawar has accused dissenting parties of stirring "unnecessary disputes" due to a lack of pressing issues. Asserting the primacy of Marathi in the state, he remarked during the inauguration of a national memorial for the Chapekar Brothers in Pimpri Chinchwad, "Marathi is our mother tongue and will continue to hold its first preference in the state."

While political figures like MNS president Raj Thackeray have condemned the decision as an imposition, linking it to broader concerns of cultural encroachment, Pawar defended the inclusion of Hindi alongside English and Marathi, focusing on the broader role of the National Education Policy 2020 in shaping the curriculum.

(With inputs from agencies.)