Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has taken a policy decision to implement the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 with Hindi as a compulsory third language from the academic year 2025-26.

As per a detailed government notification, Hindi will be a compulsory third language for students in Classes 1 to 5 studying in Marathi and English medium schools.

The new curriculum under NEP 2020 will follow a phased timeline, starting with Class 1 in 2025-26 academic year and expanding to all grades by 2028-29.

According to the notification, other medium schools in Maharashtra are already following the three-language formula since English and Marathi are compulsory in the state; and they also teach the language which is their medium of instruction.

However, in English and Marathi medium schools, only two languages were taught.

In the case of Curriculum and Structure, the state government of Maharashtra will adopt the 5+3+3+4 model, with localised curriculum development by SCERT (State Council of Educational Research and Training) and Balbharati the state textbook bureau.

The SCERT has also prepared a bridge course for classes where students will be transitioning directly from the old to new curriculum.

The government aims to train 80 per cent of teachers in new pedagogical methods and digital tools by 2025.

“The 5+3+3+4 educational structure, introduced by the NEP 2020 under the new curriculum, divides school education into four stages: Foundational stage, preparatory stage, middle stage, and a secondary stage.

“This new policy restructures the previous 10+2+3 system into a 5+3+3+4 format, covering education from foundational to higher levels. The policy is being gradually implemented in the state. It is built on five pillars: Access, Equity, Quality, Affordability, and Accountability, and aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be achieved by 2030,” Deputy Secretary of the state education department, Tushar Mahajan said in a notification.

MNS chief Raj Thackeray posts an open letter on X on the imposition of Hindi in Maharashtra. “The Central Government’s ongoing attempts to enforce ‘Hindi-ization’ across the country will not be allowed to succeed in this state. Hindi is not a national language. It is just one of the state languages, like other languages in the country. Why, then, should it be taught in Maharashtra from the first grade? Keep your so-called three-language formula limited to government transactions and do not extend it to education. This country was reorganized on linguistic lines, and that structure has endured for so many years.

“We are Hindus, but we are not Hindi! If you try to coat Maharashtra with a veneer of Hindi-ization, conflict in Maharashtra is inevitable. Looking at all this, it becomes clear that the government is deliberately instigating this conflict. Is this entire effort aimed at creating a Marathi versus non-Marathi conflict in the upcoming elections to gain political advantage? Non-Marathi speakers in this state must also understand this ploy of the government.