Mumbai (Maharashtra), July 1: The Maharashtra government has formed a committee headed by educationist and economist Dr. Narendra Jadhav to review the state’s proposed three-language policy. According to a Government Resolution (GR) issued by the School Education and Sports Department, the committee is expected to submit its report within three months.
The panel will analyze the report of the earlier Dr. Raghunath Mashelkar committee and engage with stakeholders, institutions, and experts. It will also study how other states and union territories have implemented the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in relation to language education.
The controversy over the three-language policy erupted after the Maharashtra government passed a resolution on April 16 making Hindi a compulsory third language in Marathi and English-medium schools. Following public backlash, the government amended the resolution on June 17, stating that Hindi would remain the third language but students could opt for another language if at least 20 students showed interest.
On June 24, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis clarified that no final decision would be taken without consulting literary figures, language experts, political leaders, and other stakeholders. Subsequently, the earlier resolutions were canceled, and the Jadhav committee was constituted to reassess the policy.
In parallel, opposition leaders from the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) staged a protest outside the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on Monday, expressing strong opposition to the proposed language formula. Protesters carried banners with slogans such as “The three-language policy is unacceptable, common kill me” and “What to do for votes, common kill me.”
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray also criticized the policy and praised the political unity against it. “We have punched Marathi haters; this unity must continue. If the GR hadn’t been withdrawn, there would have been a massive protest on July 5. Leaders from Shinde’s Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP are also joining us,” he said.
Thackeray also announced a “victory rally” on July 5, celebrating the temporary withdrawal of the resolution and the formation of the new expert panel.