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Indian Express
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Govt's Language Advisory Committee to oppose introduction of Hindi in primary education
The Language Advisory Committee, appointed by the state government, which has been against imposition of Hindi as a third language in state schools, has now passed a resolution to oppose its introduction from Class 1. The committee members believe that it is not academically sound to introduce a third language at such a young age, when formal education of two languages just starts for children. The committee, which comprises language experts and teachers among others, passed the resolution in a meeting held in Pune on Friday. Chairman of the committee Laxmikant Deshmukh, said, 'It is unjust to put the burden of a third language on children. Ideally, there should be only one language at the beginning. But English has been made compulsory, realising its global importance and parents' demand. There is neither any justified reason nor any demand to add a third language.' Further highlighting that it is worse to make Hindi as the default third language in schools, Deshmukh said, 'Imposition of Hindi is not only confusing to children but is also a cultural onslaught. Even though they use the same script, there are major variations in the way these two languages are written. Starting from grammar rules, use of punctuation marks, sentence structures and even meanings of words, there are major differences. For example, the word 'shiksha' in Hindi means education, but in Marathi, it means punishment. This confusion at the early stage of learning a language can impact the quality of language education.' Deshmukh stated that the committee has also decided to take part in the protest against Hindi as a third language, called by the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena on July 5. 'The government is citing National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 for these changes, which actually emphasizes the importance of education in the mother tongue. The National Curriculum Framework (NCF) brings third language only from Class 6, raising questions on the state's purpose to bring third language from Class 1,' said Deshmukh while adding that the government should rather work on improving the quality of language education in state-run schools.
The Hindu
26-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Watch: Imposing Hindi weakens India's pluralism
Can one language define India? At The Hindu Huddle 2025, historian A.R. Venkatachalapathy says no. India's strength lies in its linguistic diversity, not in homogenisation. In this session titled 'Vox populi: language and identity wars shaping our culture', he explains how language has shaped India's social movements, nationalism, and democracy. Also featuring Laxmikant Deshmukh, Chairperson of Maharashtra's language consultation committee, the discussion explores why the imposition of a single language could erode India's pluralistic identity — and how regional languages have long been the lifeblood of India's cultural and political evolution. Read more: 'India's strength is in its linguistic diversity'
Indian Express
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Hindi no longer mandatory third language in Maharashtra schools
Amid debate over its language policy, the Maharashtra School Education Department announced Tuesday that Hindi will no longer be mandatory as the third language in Classes 1 to 5 across Marathi and English medium schools under the State Board. While the three-language formula will still apply from Class 1, students won't be required to study Hindi specifically as the third language. A revised Government Resolution (GR) will be issued soon to remove word 'mandatory', said School Education Minister Dada Bhuse. 'The three-language formula remains, but schools must accommodate other language choices if a significant number of students in a class request it,' he said. The rollback came on the heels of opposition from the state's Language Consultation Committee, whose chairperson, Laxmikant Deshmukh, criticised the move, prompting a clarification from the School Education Minister.
Time of India
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Maharashtra stays order making Hindi mandatory for classes 1-5
The Maharashtra government has retracted its order mandating Hindi as a third language for Classes 1 to 5, following strong opposition from the Language Consultation Committee. This decision, intended to align with the National Education Policy, faced criticism for not being academically sound and disregarding students' psychology. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads The Maharashtra government has stayed its order making Hindi a mandatory third language for students of Classes 1 to 5 , following strong opposition from the state's Language Consultation Committee , reported PTI, citing the State's School Education Minister. The move came after the committee's chairperson, Laxmikant Deshmukh , publicly objected to the on Sunday, the Language Advisory Committee had written to the Chief Minister, urging a rollback of the April 16 directive. The letter argued that the decision was not academically justified and was 'not in tune with students' psychology.'The directive was part of the state's implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP), which includes a provision to introduce Hindi as a third language from Class 1. However, the decision sparked sharp criticism on social media, led by opposition parties Maharashtra now becomes the second major state, after Tamil Nadu, to face pushback over introducing a compulsory third language at the primary level. The original proposal had stemmed from recommendations made by a committee headed by a state minister.
The Hindu
21-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
‘Wasn't consulted': Maharashtra language panel chief on Hindi row
The Maharashtra government's decision to make Hindi a compulsory third language from Classes 1 to 5 is in contravention of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, Laxmikant Deshmukh, the chairperson of the Maharashtra government-appointed Language Consultation Committee, told The Hindu on Monday. Mr. Deshmukh said the panel was opposed to the State government's move on the grounds of educational, cultural and practical implementation. He said the move is neither conducive to children's psychological growth nor is it practical due to the woefully inadequate school infrastructure for primary education. The committee has already written a letter to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis advising to revoke the decision. Part of the NEP 2020, Maharashtra's decision was announced on April 17 and mandates that Hindi be taught alongside Marathi and English. However, Mr. Deshmukh said the NEP does not talk about the third language for primary education until a child turns 11. 'As per the NEP, there should be only two languages – R1 [the language employed as the medium of instruction and for initial literacy attainment. Ideally, the mother tongue or regional language that is most familiar to students] and R2 [any other language, including English or a foreign language] – till the child turns 11. But the State government has claimed that the decision has been taken on the basis of recommendations of the State Council of Educational Research and Training. But their earlier draft, which was made open for public consultation and comments, did not have it,' Mr. Deshmukh contended. Formed after five years of consultations, NEP 2020, which replaces the previous education policy of 1986, has stated that wherever possible, the medium of instruction for students in both public and private schools until at least Class 5, but preferably till Class 8 and beyond, will be in the home language or the mother tongue or the local language or the regional language. Thereafter, the home or local language shall continue to be taught as a language wherever possible. The NEP 2020 introduces the three-language formula, encouraging students to learn -- R1, R2, and R3 (a third language). While it encourages the use of the mother tongue/local language until at least Class 5 (preferably beyond), it does not limit language learning to just R1 and R2. State governments and school boards have the flexibility to choose which languages to offer, but the three-language formula remains the overarching framework. 'If you [the government] have accepted NEP, how can you bypass it?' Mr. Deshmukh said, adding that the introduction of a third language during secondary school was done on the recommendations of the Kothari Education Commission in 1968. 'I don't know why we have suddenly made Hindi compulsory. Did the people of the State demand it? In fact, there have been protests in the State as certain groups refused to learn Marathi. In other countries, only one language is taught. We are multilingual. We learn two languages in primary years. But three languages will be burdensome for such small children,' he said. 'When the State government issued an order to declare Hindi as a compulsory third language, we were shocked. Why were we not consulted?' he said. 'We don't oppose Hindi' 'Look at Tamil Nadu. In the last three years, they have spent the most on education. Much more than what Maharashtra has spent... Tamil Nadu has said no to Hindi. They have only two languages there. But they are ahead in everything. We don't oppose Hindi. We are learning it. But the decision to make Hindi mandatory as the third language is not scientific,' Mr. Deshmukh said. Maharashtra Language Consultation Committee consists of 27 members and officers from the government departments. He said there were several reasons for opposing the move. 'In the age group of 6-11, if you look at the children's listening capacity, it is not conducive to learning a third language. We lack meritorious teachers, good infrastructure. The Annual Status of Education Report states that even in Class 8, 30% students cannot read lessons in their mother tongue. At least 53% cannot read English properly. We have stopped teachers' recruitment... How will the children learn an additional language?' Mr. Deshmukh said. The cultural reasons, he added, for the opposition to Hindi arise from the reluctance to speak Marathi. 'We fought for the formation of Maharashtra on linguistic basis. And yet, those who come from 'outside' insult Maharashtrians, refuse to speak Marathi,' he added.
