Maharashtra withdraws orders to teach Hindi as third language in primary schools
The Maharashtra government has withdrawn its resolutions to teach Hindi as the third language to students from Class 1 to Class 5 in Marathi and English medium schools, reported The Hindu on Sunday.
Ahead of the Monsoon Session of the state Assembly, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also announced that a new committee, led by former Rajya Sabha MP Narendra Jadhav, has been formed to advise the state on implementing the National Education Policy’s three-language formula, according to The Indian Express.
This came amid a state-wide row triggered by the Mahayuti government’s June 17 order making Hindi a “generally” taught third language.
The Mahayuti alliance comprises the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction and the Nationalist Congress Party group led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
According to the order, if 20 students per grade in a school wish to study any other Indian language, they can opt out of Hindi. If such a demand arises, either a teacher will be appointed or the language will be taught online.
On Friday, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) announced that it will hold a joint protest against the three-language policy with Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena on July 5.
Later in the day, Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar stated that the people of Maharashtra are not anti-Hindi, but it is not right...
Read more
News