Latest news with #NarendraJadhav
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Panel gets 3 mths to give report on 3-language policy
Pune: The govt-appointed committee to define the policy for implementing the three-language formula in schools across the state under educationist Narendra Jadhav has three months to submit its report. A govt notification issued on June 30 officially announced the cancellation of the controversial GR issued on April 16 regarding the introduction of Hindi from Class 1, along with the subsequent notification on June 17. The decision came after a heated debate over the mandatory introduction of a third language in Marathi and English medium schools affiliated to the state board. The govt notification issued on Monday said, "Against the backdrop of discussions taking place at various levels in the state regarding the inclusion of a third language in the curriculum of students from Std I onwards, in a press conference held on June 29, 2025, chief minister (Devendra Fadnavis) announced that the govt decisions in both contexts are being cancelled. Also, in line with National Education Policy 2020, it was announced to form a committee to study the three-language formula and determine the policy. " You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai The notification stated that the state govt was considering forming a committee to study from which standard and how to implement the three-language formula and submit a report. The deputy secretary of school education and sports department stated in the notification, "In line with the National Education Policy 2020, a committee is being formed under the chairmanship of educationist Narendra Jadhav to decide the policy from which grade and how to implement the trilingual formula in schools in the state. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Cervecería Nacional CFD: Calcula cuánto podrías ganar invirtiendo solo $100 Empieza a invertir Inscríbete ahora Undo Other members of the committee will soon be appointed by govt. This committee will study the report submitted by the Raghunath Mashelkar committee regarding the three-language formula in the National Education Policy 2020 and will make recommendations to the state govt after holding discussions with all the relevant entities/institutions/individuals. " This committee will study the three-language formula in the states/Union territories that have adopted the NEP 2020. The panel will submit its report to the govt within three months taking into account the interests of the students. After considering the report, an appropriate decision will be taken at the govt level regarding the three-language formula. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Doctor's Day 2025 , messages and quotes!
Indian Express
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Maharashtra revokes three-language policy: School education dept issues fresh GR formally cancelling earlier GRs
The state school education department has issued another Government Resolution (GR), formally cancelling the earlier two GRs issued on April 16 and June 17 on the contentious three-language policy, inducting Hindi as the third language in primary schools. The new GR also states that the formation of a committee, to be headed by Dr Narendra Jadhav to take a relook into the three-language policy in primary sections, is underway. The committee will submit its recommendations within three months. After multiple revisions, the three-language policy for Classes 1 to 5 in Marathi- and English-medium schools of the Maharashtra state board was finally rolled back by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday. He announced that the earlier two GRs had been revoked and that the committee led by Dr Jadhav would now give fresh recommendations. Despite the CM's assurance, several stakeholders in the school education sector had said another GR was necessary providing a written assurance on the rollback. The latest GR, issued late on Monday, reiterates the cancellation of the earlier two contentious GRs and states that a new committee is being constituted in accordance with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The GR states that the committee 'will determine the policy regarding implementation of the three-language formula in schools, specifically from which grade and in what manner it should be implemented. It will study the report submitted by Dr Raghunath Mashelkar's committee concerning the three-language formula in NEP 2020. It will also engage in discussions with all relevant stakeholders, organisations, and individuals before making recommendations to the state.' The GR further adds, 'The committee will examine the approach taken by other states and Union Territories in India that have adopted NEP 2020, with particular attention on how they have implemented the three-language formula, keeping students' best interests in mind. Based on this report, the government will make an appropriate decision at the state level regarding the implementation of the three-language formula.'
Indian Express
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
How BJP has scored own goal over Hindi vs Marathi row, galvanised Thackerays
The Devendra Fadnavis government's move to revoke the government resolutions (GRs) on the three-language policy in Maharashtra, inducting Hindi as the third language in primary schools, might have helped it to pre-empt the July 5 protest rally called jointly by the estranged Thackeray cousins – Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray and MNS chief Raj Thackeray – but the BJP-led Mahayuti has faced a setback following its flip-flop over the issue. On Sunday, while revoking the April 16, 2025 and June 17, 2025 GRs, Chief Minister Fadnavis said that the government had neither undermined the Marathi language nor imposed Hindi on students. On the contrary, the CM claimed, the decision to introduce Hindi and English in primary classes was taken by the previous Uddhav-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in 2020-2021. In state political circles, a key question is doing the rounds as to what was the compulsion behind the Mahayuti government's decision to issue these GRs despite a perception that instead of simplifying the policy, it has added to the confusion. Both the GRs were issued by the school education ministry headed by Dadasaheb Bhuse who belongs to Deputy CM Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. The first GR (April 16) made Hindi mandatory as the third language for students from classes 1 to 5. After the Opposition, especially Sena (UBT), went up in arms against it along with other state outfits like the MNS, the government issued a revised GR (June 17), which sought to make Hindi optional as the third language. But its restrictive conditions on the alternatives to Hindi as a third language led to fresh allegations that it was just a 'new push for Hindi imposition' by the BJP-led government. After the government scrapped the GRs, Fadnavis said, 'We have always given Marathi first priority. And Hindi was an optional language. We gave students the option to choose any language other than Hindi as a third language,' adding that 'we cannot explain things to those who are pretending to be asleep, they are doing politics'. On his part, Uddhav has maintained that 'We are not against Hindi language. Our opposition is to impose Hindi on students at the primary levels,' alleging that 'the BJP has always given Marathi a secondary treatment which we oppose tooth and nail'. Raj said, 'The GR cancellation should be permanent. Or else we will not allow the Narendra Jadhav committee to work in Maharashtra.' He also warned that the MNS would not allow the government to push Hindi in primary schools. While withdrawing the GRs, the Fadnavis government has also constituted a committee led by Narendra Jadhav to review the three-language policy in the state. Unlike some southern states where widespread anti-Hindi sentiments have run deep historically, Maharashtra has not seen such a pushback against Hindi on a mass scale. This is because the Vidarbha and Marathwada regions have a large Hindi-speaking population. Before the creation of Maharashtra, Vidarbha was part of Central India (now part of Madhya Pradesh) and Marathwada was under the Nizam rule. Hindi thus still holds great significance in these regions. The Samyukta Maharashtra movement for a Marathi state, led by leaders from diverse parties, had focused on the inclusion of Mumbai (then Bombay) as part of Maharashtra. In the wake of a prolonged agitation during which 106 people were killed in police firing, Maharashtra was formed with Mumbai as its capital on May 1, 1960. The Samyukta Maharashtra movement launched by Keshavrao Jedhe in Pune in 1955 included political stalwarts such as S A Dange, S M Joshi, Narayan Ganesh Gore, Keshav Sitaram Thackeray, Amar Shaikh, Pandurang Bapat, Prasad Atre and Madhu Dandavate, among others. Although regional parties like the undivided Shiv Sena and the MNS always centred their politics around Marathi Asmita (pride), the electoral dividends of this plank have seemed to be in decline in Mumbai and adjoining districts like Thane, Nashik and Pune over the years, especially in the Lok Sabha and the Assembly polls. Bal Thackeray, Uddhav's father, had founded the Shiv Sena in June 1966 to mobilise the Marathi-speaking people against 'injustice' to 'Marathi manoos (sons of the soil)' in local jobs. Raj, Uddhav's cousin, who quit the Sena in 2005 after feeling 'sidelined' there, floated his own party MNS in 2006, but remained broadly affiliated to the same ideology of Marathi identity and pride. Despite having been at loggerheads for two decades, Uddhav and Raj have found a common ground for the Marathi cause over the three-language row, which may be detrimental to the prospects of the BJP, the Mahayuti's lead player, in the upcoming local bodies elections in the state. The government's decision to cancel the GRs has given a boost to Thackeray cousins, who have decided to turn their protest rally on July 5 into a victory event. It has also enthused Uddhav's other MVA allies – the Congress and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP(SP). State Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal said, 'The government buckled under the Opposition's pressure. They were scared of the protest rally.' Similar sentiments were echoed by NCP (SP) state chief Jayant Patil, who said, 'The government knew the public mood was against it.' As the monsoon session of the state Legislature got underway Monday, both the Mahayuti and the MVA traded allegations over the language policy. The BJP has drawn flak even from its allies, Shinde Sena and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, who have also opposed the move to make Hindi mandatory as a third language. An NCP insider said, 'It was evident from the beginning that the three- language policy was badly handled. Initially, BJP had taken the lead, but it should have done the course correction when both Uddhav and Raj Thackeray raised the alarm in April. It would have saved us the trouble of rolling back two GRs.' The Shinde Sena also seems to be concerned as it believes the language dispute may have given the Sena (UBT) and the MNS a 'new lease of life'.
Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Educationists question revisions in 3-language policy: How can schools adjust to frequent changes?
The state government's changing stance on the third language policy has led to a chaotic beginning to the academic year, according to teachers in Maharashtra. The government's announcement of the formation of a new committee for fresh recommendations on the issue has left many of them baffled, as unit tests are only a month away. Teachers have urged the government to wait until the next academic year before implementing any new decisions. After multiple revisions, the Maharashtra government on Sunday halted the three-language policy by revoking two contentious Government Resolutions (GRs) issued in this regard. As Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis made the announcement, he also informed about the formation of a new committee headed by Dr Narendra Jadhav to further analyse the policy of introducing a third language in Classes 1 to 5 of Marathi and English medium schools under the Maharashtra State Board. Questioning the government's intentions, Mahendra Ganpule, former head of the Maharashtra School Principals Association, said, 'The state is simply playing with the future of lakhs of young children. From the imposition of Hindi as the third language to making it optional and changing its learning goals, the government has altered its stance multiple times on the third language—so much so that it also included readjusting the timetable structure for schools.' 'It is not easy to fix a timetable for any school, which is generally finalised well before schools reopen after the summer break. But in June, a new structure was imposed to accommodate the third language, and now there is a pause on its implementation. How are schools expected to adjust to these frequent changes,' he asked. Ganpule highlighted how some schools might have had to rejig their timetable to match the new structure issued by the State Council for Educational Research and Training (SCERT), which now requires another revision. 'When will they focus on academics?' he questioned, pointing out that unit tests are approaching in August. The state's school education department initially introduced the third language in Class 1 and made it mandatory to teach Hindi. Following backlash, a revised order stated that students could opt for any other language in place of Hindi, but a teacher would be provided only if there were at least 20 students in a class requesting the alternative—thereby making Hindi the default third language. While opposition continued, School Education Minister Dada Bhuse later announced that in Classes 1 and 2, the third language would focus only on spoken skills, and the reading/writing component would be introduced in Class 3. Finally, the Chief Minister halted the entire process on Sunday by revoking the two GRs. 'Although the Chief Minister has announced the cancellation of the 'Three Languages from Grade 1' directive, considering past experiences, it is difficult to place trust in this,' said Dr. Madhav Suryavanshi, Chief Coordinator, Education Development Forum, Yashwantrao Chavan Center. He added, 'Previously, despite public assurances by the Chief Minister and the Education Minister that three languages would not be made mandatory from Grade 1, the government ultimately implemented the decision to mandate three languages from Grade 1 from this academic year. Unless an official order is issued cancelling the 'Three Languages from Grade 1' decision, this government's stance cannot be trusted.' Questioning the urgency, senior educationist Vasant Kalpande urged the state government to wait until the next academic year. 'This academic year has already started. Instead of disturbing it, it will be better if the government takes time to make a final decision. A new committee is set to study the three-language policy. They should be given time for a thorough study, and their recommendations should be made public for suggestions and objections before a final decision is taken.' Kalpande further emphasised that when educational decisions are made without taking into confidence all those concerned with the decision, then those become issues of identity. 'When educational issues take on the form of linguistic, caste-based, religious, or cultural identity matters, political interference becomes inevitable. This is exactly what happened in the case of this arbitrarily made decision. It can be avoided if adequate time is spent to follow the procedure.'
The Hindu
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Language row turns political: MVA, MNS claim victory as Maharashtra govt. backtracks
The rollback of Maharashtra's three-language policy in primary education has sparked a blame game, with the Bharatiya Janata Party accusing Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray of double standards, and his party's leaders defending Marathi pride. The Maharashtra government on Sunday (June 29, 2025) withdrew its controversial government resolutions (GRs) dated April 16 and June 17, which mandated Hindi as the third compulsory language in Marathi and English-medium primary schools. The decision follows strong political Opposition and widespread protests by civil society, journalists, educationists, and Marathi cultural organisations. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that the State would set up a committee headed by educationist and economist Dr. Narendra Jadhav to study the issue and recommend an appropriate language policy. 'Until the committee submits its report, both government resolutions stand cancelled,' Mr. Fadnavis stated. The original April 16 GR had made Hindi mandatory as the third language for Classes 1 to 5. Following public resistance, the government issued a modified GR on June 17, offering conditional flexibility — but the backlash continued. The Opposition has hailed the government's decision as a victory for Marathi identity. 'Victory rally' Mr. Thackeray on Monday celebrated the reversal and said, 'We have smashed the heads of Marathi haters. This unity should be preserved as we prepare for future battles.' He added that a victory rally would be held on July 5. 'We appreciate the political parties which came together with us despite different stands. Temporarily, they (the government) have cancelled the GR. If they had not cancelled, they would have seen the protest on 5th July. Many leaders from Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar's NCP are going to join us. A new committee led by Dr. Narendra Jadhav will report on this issue. The government has appointed financial experts for the education sector's decision. We will stage a victory rally on July 5,' the former Chief Minister told journalists. Nationalist Congress Party (SCP) leader Jayant Patil said: 'Making Hindi compulsory did not work in Maharashtra. The withdrawal of its own decisions on Hindi imposition shows how alienated this government is from the concerns of the people. It also underscores the dysfunctionality of the administration.' MVA allies, including the Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (SCP), and Congress, had held protests outside the legislature with banners reading 'Mi Marathi' (I am Marathi) and slogans denouncing the Hindi imposition. NCP (SCP) MLA Rohit Pawar said: 'We are not against Hindi, but against the compulsory teaching of Hindi at the cost of Marathi and local autonomy. Many political parties opposed the GR released by the Maharashtra government regarding the three-language policy. Marathi journalists and social organisations were also against it. When all of them got united on this matter, it overpowered the government, and finally, the State government decided to withdraw the GR on the three-language policy.' BJP counters, claims credit BJP Mumbai unit chief Ashish Shelar pushed back against Opposition claims and said, 'In reality, Maharashtra, the Marathi people, and the BJP have won this fight. Uddhav Thackeray is politicising a policy that began under his tenure.' Mr. Shelar claimed that the original recommendation for a three-language policy stemmed from the Mashelkar Committee report constituted under Mr. Thackeray's chief ministership. 'He formed the committee and included his own party representatives. Why deny it now?' Shelar asked. Minister Shambhuraj Desai also asserted that the GR was first accepted under the previous MVA regime. 'This is political opportunism, not policy critique,' he said. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut lashed out at the BJP alleging that they are making false claims of former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray accepting the Mashelkar committee's report on the three-language policy. 'Lying is the BJP's national policy. These people are working with this policy in Maharashtra. If Uddhav Thackeray had submitted a report on the Mashelkar committee, it should be made public. A committee report has been released and placed in the Cabinet. Can't this be discussed? You forcefully discussed Hindi with the Cabinet — you did it because it is a national policy. If any national policy comes before the State, then discussing it is very important. Devendra Fadnavis has become the Chief Minister three times, does he not have that much knowledge?' he said at a press conference. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray said, 'People are trying to make the 150 to 200-year-old Hindi language as a national language superior to Marathi, which has a history of over 3,000 years. This is unacceptable, and I will not allow it. Hindi is not the national language to be imposed on other States. This kind of coercion is not right. Any attempt to place Hindi above Marathi will be opposed.' Aaditya Thackeray, MLA and son of Uddhav Thackeray, claimed the rollback was achieved due to people's pressure, not the government's goodwill. 'We will keep up the pressure until a written assurance is given.' Along with Leader of Opposition in the legislative council Ambadas Danve, Bhaskar Jadhav and other Opposition legislators, Mr. Aaditya Thackeray staged a protest on the steps of Vidhan Bhavan, holding placards that said, 'Mi Marathi' (I am Marathi). Mr. Danve said: 'We are happy that our demand has been partially met. But we are still sceptical of the Maharashtra government, especially since it has now formed another committee to study the matter further.' Chief Minister Fadnavis reiterated that the decision was not a retreat but a step toward broader consultation. 'The Narendra Jadhav committee will involve experts, stakeholders, and public input to decide the way forward.' As Maharashtra heads into the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, language identity has emerged as a prominent electoral issue. The government is keen to avoid further unrest while Opposition parties are rallying around Marathi pride.
