Latest news with #2020NationalEducationPolicy
Indian Express
06-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Why Raj and Uddhav Thackeray united after 20 years, on a Mumbai-Marathi platform
The three-language formula under the 2020 National Education Policy has become a potent political issue in Maharashtra, resulting in a rare reunion of cousins and political rivals Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray. On Saturday (July 5), the leaders came together for the first time in 20 years for a 'victory rally' in Mumbai, after the Maharashtra government withdrew government resolutions dated April 16 and June 17. Making Hindi mandatory in state schools from Class one, the orders were based on the NEP's recommendation of students learning at least two native languages. Uddhav, leader of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), and Raj, of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, emphasised 'Marathi Asmita' or Marathi pride and questioned the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP government. A central theme of the rally was the BJP allegedly undermining the Maharashtrian identity, be it through language or taking lucrative projects away from Mumbai to other states. Such ideas and rhetoric have a long history in the state and played a significant role in the creation of Maharashtra more than six decades ago. What explains their resurgence now? The focus on Mumbai At the rally, MNS chief Raj Thackeray said, 'The imposition of Hindi was an experiment done by the BJP to gauge the pulse of the public. Their larger agenda is to separate Mumbai from Maharashtra.' Uddhav, who has also previously claimed that the central BJP leadership has systematically undermined Mumbai, echoed the sentiment. During the state BJP council meeting on July 1, Fadnavis had said, 'Ahead of every election, there is a false campaign unleashed by our opponents, of a conspiracy to break Mumbai from Maharashtra. They stoke such emotive issues as they cannot counter our development work.' He added, 'Mumbai was, is, and will remain an integral part of Maharashtra.' To bolster their claims, Opposition parties have cited the recent relocations of key mega projects — including the Vedanta-Foxconn semiconductor joint venture and the Tata-Airbus C295 aircraft assembly plant — to the neighbouring Gujarat. It has also been noted that the ambitious International Financial Services Centre project in Mumbai had reached an advanced stage, but was leapfrogged by the establishment of the rival GIFT city in Gujarat. These developments were termed examples of Gujarat's upmanship over Maharashtra. Roots of the rivalry On May 1, 1960, Gujarat and Maharashtra were bifurcated from the state of Bombay after a long, bitter and bloody agitation over the linguistic issue. In Maharashtra, political stalwarts of the time rose above ideological differences to advocate for retaining Mumbai in the state, given its historical, cultural and commercial significance. They also argued that the majority of its residents were Marathi speakers. At the time, Congress leaders at both the Centre and state levels, including Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, were not supportive of state reorganisation on a linguistic basis. They argued it would further lead to divisions in a country that had just gained independence, with the RSS also supporting their view. However, the Samyukta Maharashtra Movement, which gained huge traction in the 1950s among the masses, led to a rethink. With veteran communist and socialist leaders at the helm, it played a significant role in ensuring Mumbai became a part of Maharashtra. At least 106 people lost their lives in the agitation and police firing. Then Bombay Chief Minister Morarji Desai had to resign, and was replaced by then Congress leader Yashwantrao Chavan. The resignation of Union Cabinet Minister C D Deshmukh further gave the agitation renewed impetus. Other states also saw similar linguistic campaigns during this period. Potti Sreeramulu led a fast-unto-death for the creation of Andhra Pradesh from what was then the state of Madras. Eventually, the linguistic basis for reorganisation of states was accepted. The Marathi factor Six years after the creation of Maharashtra, Bal Thackeray laid the foundation of the Shiv Sena — a party that claimed to fight for the rights of the Marathi manoos (human). Thackeray believed that injustice had been meted out against sons of the soil, especially in employment, and questioned the large number of South Indians in public sectors and banks through his fiery, and often divisive rhetoric. The idea caught the imagination of unemployed young people in the state, with slogans such as 'Bajao pungi, hatao lungi!' (blow the Pungi instrument, throw out the South Indian). The movement saw electoral success early on, with some wins in civic polls. As a result of changing migration patterns by the 1980s, the party embarked on an anti-North Indian campaign. This time, migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar were blamed for unemployment among the locals. At the time, the party's position towards Gujaratis was more conciliatory. In the 2000s, Uddhav Thackeray took the initiative to reach out to Gujaratis, who constituted 17 per cent of the voter base in Mumbai. The party known for its slogans said, 'Khao Jalebi, fafda, Uddhav Thackeray aapda!' (Savour Jalebi, fafda, as Uddhav Thackeray is ours). Notably, Maharashtra and Karnataka have also had disputes over the inclusion of Marathi-speaking areas in Karnataka. Political parties across Maharashtra have demanded areas such as Belgaum, Nippani, Karwar and Gulbarga. However, over the years, it has arguably failed to yield decisive electoral dividends. In comparison, Marathi has successfully been turned into an emotive political issue. Rise of the BJP For the last six decades, Marathi and Gujarati speakers have coexisted in Mumbai, and the city has people from a wide range of cultural backgrounds today. However, cultural issues have often become the flashpoint for political contests. With the electoral gains that the ruling BJP has made across states and demographics since 2014, Maharashtra's parties have invoked the Gujarat vs Maharashtra issue time and again. That PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah hail from Gujarat has frequently been invoked to allege unfairness. With the BJP's perception as a Hindu-Hindi dominance party, the perception of Hindi imposition has helped the Shiv Sena in the past. Raj said at the rally, 'Fadnavis did what even Balasaheb Thackeray could not — he reunited us.' Uddhav also hinted at their alliance, saying, 'We have come together now after many years to remain together.' Bal Thackeray groomed his nephew Raj as his political heir in the 1990s, but eventually chose Uddhav to lead the party. In 2005, Raj quit the Sena and went on to launch the MNS in 2006. The MNS has had limited political success, while the Shiv Sena has undergone a major split, with its Eknath Shinde faction now allied with the BJP. In such a scenario, the tried-and-tested Marathi manoos plank could be key to their revival. The union could be tested ahead of the elections for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Asia's biggest and richest municipal corporation.
New Indian Express
02-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Accord mother tongue prominence, but embrace languages sans borders
The 2020 National Education Policy's insistence on teaching at least two languages in school is based on sound science. Research shows that learning multiple languages before adulthood improves crucial skills such as cognition, hand-eye coordination and memory. However, it's the BJP-Sena government's bid to introduce it in primary schools that drew the ire of parents, teachers, language activists and opposition politicians. To Fadnavis's attempts of propping the Union government's policy in his defence, Marathi language activists posit the NEP's advice for instruction only in the local or home language till class 8. The boon and bane of having the same script, Devanagari, is back in intellectual discourse. Such a tangle of livewires has tripped the ambitious chief minister's stride towards Hindi. It's indeed a sensitive issue in a state where people still honour the '106 martyrs' who died in the late 1950s agitating for a separate Marathi speakers' province. Yet ironically, like dominant tongues in several other states, Marathi too flexes muscle for what scholar Prachi Deshpande calls the 'bear hug' of language. Konkani speakers on the state's southern borders have resisted Marathi's sway for decades, while Dangi speakers on its northern fringes are still contending with its peremptory ways. The abiding paradox is that though most Indian states were demarcated linguistically, language itself brooks no border. In a country with 22 constitutionally scheduled languages and hundreds of others thriving, we have to accept lingual influences across and within state lines. Despite the heat of politics, culture shrivels in the cold confines of hard borders.
Scroll.in
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Final call on 3-language formula in Maharashtra after talks with stakeholders: CM Fadnavis
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday said that a final decision on the three-language formula in schools will be taken after consulting all stakeholders, The Hindu reported. The statement came amid opposition to the state government's June 17 decision to make Hindi a ' generally ' taught third language for students from Class 1 to Class 5 in Marathi and English medium schools. 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. A meeting on the three-language formula was held at the chief minister's residence on Monday, attended by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, School Education Minister Dada Bhuse, Minister of State for School Education Pankaj Bhoyar and education department officials. The implications of the three-language policy, particularly under the 2020 National Education Policy, were discussed in the meeting, The Indian Express reported. It was also decided that a presentation be prepared highlighting the state's linguistic situation to ensure that students in Marathi-medium schools do not face disadvantage. For this purpose, a consultation process will be held with the stakeholders, including Marathi language scholars, literary figures and political leaders, The Hindu reported. The Maharashtra government has faced backlash twice over its language policy this year. On April 16, the Maharashtra government announced plans to implement the 2020 National Education Policy from the academic year 2025-'26. This made Hindi compulsory as the third language for students of Class 1 to Class 5 in Marathi and English medium schools. This replaced the two-language structure with the three-language formula. On April 20, a language consultation committee appointed by the state government opposed the decision to make Hindi a mandatory third language in primary schools. On April 22, the government stayed its April 16 order. The new directive said that while the three-language policy would still take effect, students would no longer be required to study Hindi as their third language. The three-language formula refers to teaching students English, Hindi and the native language of a state. It was introduced in the first National Education Policy in 1968 and was retained in the new policy launched in 2020.
Scroll.in
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Hindi to be ‘generally' taught third language in Maharashtra schools
The Maharashtra government on Tuesday issued an order making Hindi a 'generally' taught third language for students from Class 1 to Class 5 in Marathi and English medium schools, PTI reported. According to the amended 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, the news agency quoted the order as stating. The Maharashtra School Education Department issued the government resolution as part of implementing the 'State Curriculum Framework for School Education 2024', which aligns with the 2020 National Education Policy, PTI reported. While Hindi is not mandatory, Marathi will remain a compulsory language in all medium schools, according to the resolution. On April 16, the Maharashtra government had announced plans to implement the 2020 National Education Policy from the academic year 2025-'26. This made Hindi compulsory as the third language for students of Class 1 to Class 5 in Marathi and English medium schools, replacing their existing two-language structure with the three-language formula. On April 20, a language consultation committee appointed by the Maharashtra government opposed the decision to make Hindi a mandatory third language in primary schools. On April 22, the government stayed its April 16 order. The new directives said that while the three-language policy would still take effect, students would no longer be required to study Hindi as their third language. The three-language formula refers to teaching students English, Hindi and the native language of a state. It was introduced in the first National Education Policy in 1968 and was retained in the new policy introduced in 2020. Backlash to new order The government resolution passed on Tuesday received backlash from Marathi language advocates who accused the government of reintroducing the policy through the ' backdoor ' after initially backtracking, PTI reported. Vasant Kalpande, the former chairman of the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, told PTI that it is unlikely to find 20 students in a class opting for a non-Hindi language. 'The provision to make teacher available online is also an attempt to discourage opting for any other language than Hindi,' the news agency quoted him as saying. Hindi as a third language is not mandatory in Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled Gujarat and Assam, Kalpande added. Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal accused Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of 'stabbing' the Marathi people, stating that the fresh government order on the three-language formula was a planned plot to impose Hindi.
Scroll.in
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Centre withholding funds to states goes against cooperative federalism: MK Stalin at Niti Aayog meet
Criticising the Union government for allegedly withholding funds under the Samagra Shiksha Scheme for the financial year 2024-'25, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Saturday said that states having to approach courts to get their rightful share goes against cooperative federalism, reported The New Indian Express. Speaking at the Niti Aayog meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Stalin said it was 'not acceptable in a cooperative federal India for funds due to a state and already approved to be withheld, delayed, or reduced', according to The Indian Express. The Samagra Shiksha scheme, implemented in 2018, is the scheme through which the Union government provides support for elementary and secondary school education. On May 21, the Stalin government moved the Supreme Court, alleging that the Union government's decision to withhold funds was a response to its refusal to implement the 2020 National Education Policy and the PM SHRI Schools scheme, and its opposition to the three-language formula that includes Hindi. The Tamil Nadu chief minister said during the meeting on Saturday that the Centre's decision 'adversely impacts the education of children studying in government schools and those studying under the Right to Education Act', reported The Indian Express. He also stated that Tamil Nadu was 'marching ahead with long-term plans' and asserted that the state would make a 'significant contribution to India's vision of a USD 30 trillion economy'. 'To realise that vision, cooperative federalism must be the strong foundation,' said Stalin. 'I strongly urge that the Union government must extend cooperation without bias to all states, including Tamil Nadu, to help them achieve their development goals.' His counterpart in Telangana, Revanth Reddy, also spoke about the need to uphold the principle of cooperative federalism in the march toward a 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047, reported The Indian Express. The Telangana chief minister said that the progress of the nation was 'intrinsically linked to the progress of each of its constituent units'. 'It is, therefore, imperative that we support, catalyse, and harness the potential of rapidly advancing states, while simultaneously extending every necessary assistance to those that are still catching up,' Reddy was quoted as saying. It was important that the states and the Centre continued to 'collaborate, exchange best practices, and support one another in building a resilient, inclusive, and future-ready India', he added. Three Opposition CMs skip meeting Three of the chief ministers of non-Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled states did not attend the meeting. Among them was West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress Mamata Banerjee. It was not clear why she did not attend the Niti Aayog meeting. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also skipped the meeting, stating that he was busy with 'prior engagement' in the state, reported The Hindu. The Congress leader sent his speech to be read out in the council. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also sent his speech to be read out by his Cabinet colleague KN Balagopal. Vijayan had not attended a Niti Aayog meeting of chief ministers in Delhi last year as well.
