Ajit Pawar has taken a swipe at political rivals for criticizing the Maharashtra government’s recent move to introduce Hindi as a compulsory third language for students in Classes 1 to 5 in Marathi and English-medium schools. The Deputy Chief Minister termed the criticism as “unnecessary disputes” fueled by the absence of meaningful political issues.
“Marathi is our native language and always the first on our priority list in our state,” Ajit Pawar stated in his address when inaugurating the national memorial to the Chapekar Brothers in Pimpri-Chinchwad on Friday. He reinforced that the policy of the state government regarding the language under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 was specifically intended to enhance the multilinguality of child students without disparaging Marathi.
The move by the Maharashtra government is in line with a larger language education reform plan under the NEP 2020, where there is a three-language formula from the primary level. Although Marathi will remain the main medium, students will have to study both Hindi and English between Classes 1 and 5, drawing opposition criticism.
The action has been opposed by a number of political parties, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and Congress among them. MNS leader Raj Thackeray has termed the Centre and state as promoting a “Hindi-fication” of education in Maharashtra’s schools, threatening not to allow the imposition to succeed. Congress leaders, in turn, have asserted that the language addition policy constitutes a cultural imposition of Hindi at the expense of regional identity.
Ajit Pawar, though, denied these charges, stating the critics are “only raising disputes because they have no real issues to dispute.” He also added, “English is spoken all over India, and so is Hindi. These languages have national importance. Though debates still go on as to whether Hindi has to be designated as the ‘Rashtra Bhasha’, I do not want to enter into that controversy.”
The Deputy Chief Minister clarified that the three-language scheme featuring Hindi in no way diluted the state’s allegiance to Marathi. “All three languages – Marathi, Hindi, and English – have their place. But Marathi will forever hold the foremost position in our hearts and in our classrooms,” he stated.
Ajit Pawar: Is the Deputy CM’s Language Policy a Balanced Vision or Cultural Compromise?
This is a long-overdue move towards education reforms under NEP 2020, Ajit Pawar explained. The state school education department has revealed a phase-wise implementation blueprint for the new curriculum based on the NEP model. The three-language formula is a key plank of such a reform aimed at promoting multilingual literacy among students during foundational learning stages.
Responding to cultural concerns, Ajit Pawar also pointed to the Centre’s recent move to grant classical language status to Marathi as an affirmation of Marathi’s enduring value. “It was Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government that granted Marathi classical language status — a long-standing demand which had been ignored for years in Delhi. The NDA government had the courage to make that decision,” he said.
To further bolster Marathi’s prominence, the Deputy CM said plans are underway to construct a “Marathi Bhasha Bhavan” in Mumbai — an institutional hub to promote the development, study, and preservation of the Marathi language and literature.
In spite of Ajit Pawar’s assurances, the language policy of the state has continued to be a contentious issue in political discourses. The critics say that making Hindi compulsory could open the door to greater centralisation of education policy, which could compromise linguistic federalism. Raj Thackeray has openly stated that his party will not permit the “Hindi-fication” of the schools of the state. Likewise, other regional leaders contend that these kinds of decisions should be taken in consensus with all linguistic and cultural stakeholders.
Yet, Ajit Pawar asserted that the government’s approach is educational rather than political. “Certain individuals are associating language policy with politics. But education policy must empower children, not separate them. We are merely facilitating children to learn three widely spoken languages, which will be beneficial to them in the long run,” he said.
Experts who back Ajit Pawar’s stand say children are mentally fit to learn many languages at an early age. “Multilingual competence is one of the top skills in this globalised age. The NEP vision dovetails with the best global practices,” stated an MSCERT senior academic.
The revised curriculum framework, designed as per the National Curriculum Framework (NCF), bifurcates language acquisition so that it gives importance to the mother tongue (Marathi in this instance), while still introducing Hindi and English early on. Though Marathi will continue to be the dominant language of teaching, Hindi and English will be introduced as second and third languages respectively.
The education department of the school has confirmed that a teacher training module is being developed so that the process can be completed smoothly and successfully. The government has also made it clear that this policy will be implemented across all government and private unaided schools falling under state management, although CBSE and ICSE-affiliated schools can retain their current language curriculum unless directed otherwise by their respective boards.
Ajit Pawar stands resolute on the state’s implementation trajectory. “Marathi is our soul. But children should also be able to speak fluently in languages that enable them to compete nationally and internationally. This is a step toward that direction — not a compromise,” he emphasized.
As debate continues, the state’s school system prepares for a linguistic transition in the 2024–25 academic session, with stakeholders watching closely to see how effectively the government balances multilingual education with regional identity.
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