The Maharashtra government has revoked its decision to introduce Hindi as a compulsory third language in primary schools, a move that comes after facing mounting opposition and accusations of "Hindi imposition". The state cabinet's decision on Sunday, June 29, 2025, cancels the Government Resolutions (GRs) issued on April 16 and June 17, which mandated Hindi as the third language for students in Classes 1 to 5.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced the decision at a press conference in Mumbai, stating that a new committee headed by educationist Narendra Jadhav will be formed to review the implementation of the three-language policy. The committee will consult with stakeholders and provide guidance on the future course of action.

The initial GR, issued on April 16, made Hindi a compulsory third language for students in Classes 1 to 5 in Marathi and English medium schools. This decision sparked widespread outrage and political backlash, with opposition parties and civil society groups alleging that the move was an attempt to impose Hindi at the expense of regional identity and linguistic diversity. Critics argued that it was a cultural onslaught on the state.

Amid the backlash, the government issued an amended GR on June 17, stating that Hindi would "generally" be the third language, but allowed students to opt for any other Indian language if a minimum of 20 students in a class chose that alternative. However, this revised GR also faced criticism, with many arguing that the 20-student requirement effectively made Hindi the default third language.

Opposition to the GRs had been mounting, with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) led by Raj Thackeray and Shiv Sena (UBT) both planning protest marches. The Language Advisory Committee, appointed by the state government, also opposed the inclusion of Hindi as the third language for primary school students, emphasizing that Marathi should be the priority for students in their early years.

Fadnavis emphasized the importance of Marathi in the state's education system, stating, "For us, Marathi and the Marathi student are at the center of our policy. Our language policy will always be Marathi-centric". He also expressed disappointment over the "ugly politics" played by the opposition, while pointing out that the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, led by Uddhav Thackeray, had accepted the three-language formula report without questioning.

School Education Minister Dada Bhuse had previously clarified that the emphasis while teaching the third language in Classes 1-2 would be only on spoken skills, with written assessments beginning from Class 3 onwards. He also stated that schools would have autonomy in selecting the third language, provided there was sufficient student interest, and reiterated that Hindi was not mandatory.

The controversy began with the initial GR in April, which introduced Hindi as a third language from Classes 1 to 5, as part of the phased rollout of the Centre's National Education Policy 2020 at the primary school level. The decision to revoke the GRs comes ahead of the monsoon session of the Maharashtra legislature.