Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has voiced his opposition to making Hindi compulsory for students from Class 1 in Maharashtra schools. This stance comes amid growing debate and protests against the state government's initial decision to introduce Hindi as a mandatory third language from Class 1 to 5.

Pawar clarified that while he believes everyone should learn their mother tongue, there is no compulsion to learn Hindi from the start. He suggested that students can consider learning Hindi from Class 5 onwards, giving students, parents, and teachers the option to make the decision at that stage. He also emphasized that Marathi is a compulsory subject for students in English-medium schools.

The Maharashtra government's initial decision to make Hindi a mandatory third language in Marathi and English medium schools from Classes 1 to 5 triggered strong reactions from opposition parties, including the Congress, NCP (SP), Shiv Sena (UBT), and MNS. Following the criticism, the government amended its order, stating that Hindi would "generally" be the third language, but students could opt for another Indian language if at least 20 students in a class expressed the desire to do so. If fewer than 20 students want to study a language other than Hindi, schools can arrange for online platforms.

In line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the state government has been exploring the implementation of the three-language formula. This formula typically includes the mother tongue (Marathi), English, and another Indian language. School Education Minister Dada Bhuse has clarified that there is no compulsion to learn Hindi as a third language, and students can choose any of the 22 Indian languages. He also assured that the emphasis while teaching the third language in Classes 1-2 will be only on spoken skills, with written assessments beginning from Class 3 onward.

The issue is expected to be discussed in a Cabinet meeting, ahead of the monsoon session of the Maharashtra legislature. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has stated that a final decision on implementing the three-language formula will be taken only after discussions with writers, language experts, political leaders, and other stakeholders. To this end, a presentation and consultation process will be conducted with all stakeholders, focusing on ensuring that Marathi students do not suffer academic losses in relation to the Academic Bank of Credits, a digital platform envisioned in the NEP 2020.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and MNS president Raj Thackeray are planning a protest meeting in Mumbai against the "imposition" of Hindi.