Maharashtra’s Rollback of Hindi as Third Language | 14 Jul 2025

Source:TH 

Why in News?  

The Maharashtra government scrapped its government resolutions (GRs) mandating Hindi as a compulsory third language from Grades 1 to 5 in Marathi and English medium schools.  

• Though the move was in line with National Education Policy (NEP), 2020, which promotes multilingualism through the three-language formula, it was withdrawn due to concerns over linguistic identity, cultural hegemony, and the feasibility of implementation. 
• The government has appointed a committee under renowned economist Dr. Narendra Jadhav to study the three-language policy. 

What are the Issues in Implementing the Three Language Policy? 

• Pedagogical Challenges: Neuroscientific research supports early exposure to multiple languages (ages 2–8), but this does not equate to formal classroom instruction.  
  • For effective learning, children must first develop foundational literacy in their mother tongue before taking on additional languages. 
  • Introducing three languages from Grade 1 may weaken core literacy in the primary language. 
• Federal Concerns: Education is a subject on the Concurrent List. Mandating Hindi as a compulsory language without proper state consultation undermines federal spirit in educational matters. 
  • The Three Language policy has been criticized for allegedly promoting Hindi at the cost of regional languages. In states like Tamil Nadu, it was seen as an act of linguistic centralization. 
  • Rooted in the Dravidian movement, Tamil Nadu adopted a two-language policy Tamil and English in 1968 rejecting the three-language formula. This stance continues today. In 2019, Tamil Nadu’s strong opposition led to the removal of mandatory Hindi from the draft NEP, 2020.  
• Deviation from NEP 2020 Intent: NEP 2020 primarily emphasizes learning in the mother tongue (referred to as ‘R1’) and an additional second language (R2- a language other than R1), not three languages, in early years. 
• Cultural and Societal Concerns: Civil society groups argue that compulsory Hindi may discourage the use of local tribal or minority languages. 
  • Critics termed this a "backdoor imposition of Hindi", questioning the opaque decision-making. Critics have pointed out that some state-level policies enforcing Hindi were introduced without adequate consultation with expert language committees or public stakeholders. 
• Administrative and Infrastructure Issues: Many schools, particularly in rural areas, lack qualified teachers for all three languages. This results in uneven quality of instruction. 
  • Designing age-appropriate, integrated curricula for three languages at the foundational level is difficult. It may overburden both students and teachers, leading to rote learning and poor comprehension.

What Does the NEP 2020 Lay Down on Language? 

• Medium of Instruction: NEP 2020 recommends the use of mother tongue, local, or regional languages as the medium of instruction until at least Grade 5, ideally till Grade 8 and beyond. 
  • NEP 2020 promotes bilingual teaching, encouraging the use of the home language or mother tongue along with English as mediums of instruction, especially in early grades. 
• Multilingualism: The current three-language formula proposed by NEP 2020 has considerably departed from NEP, 1968 which emphasised study of Hindi, English and a modern Indian language (preferably one of the southern languages) in Hindi-speaking States and Hindi, English and a regional language in non-Hindi speaking States.  
  • In contrast, the NEP 2020 states that it provides greater flexibility in the three-language formula, and that no language will be imposed on any State.  
  • It also encourages the inclusion of classical languages, such as Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and others, as part of the three-language formula. 
• Foreign Languages: The NEP 2020 introduces the option for students to learn foreign languages, such as Korean, Japanese, French, German, and Spanish, at the secondary level.  
  • The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has outlined that students will learn two Indian languages until Class 10, with the option to choose one Indian language and one foreign language in Classes 11 and 12.

What are the Constitutional Provisions Regarding Language? 

• Article 29: Protects the right of citizens to conserve their distinct language and culture. 
• Article 343: Declares Hindi in Devanagari script as the official language of the Union; allows continued use of English for official purposes for 15 years from 1950 (later extended by legislation). 
• Article 346: Governs the official language for communication between states and with the Union. Hindi may be used if the states involved agree. 
• Article 347: Allows the President to recognize a language as an official language of a state or part thereof, if a substantial section of the population demands it. 
• Article 350A: Directs states to provide primary education in the mother tongue for linguistic minority children. 
• Article 350B: Provides for a Special Officer for Linguistic Minorities, appointed by the President, to report on the implementation of safeguards for linguistic minorities. 
• Article 351: Obligates the Union to promote Hindi while enriching it with elements from other Indian languages. 
• Eighth Schedule: Lists 22 officially recognized languages, including Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, and others, referred to as "Scheduled Languages." 

What are the Arguments For and Against Three-Language Policy? 

Arguments For 

• Promotes Multilingualism and Cognitive Growth: Learning multiple languages improves memory, problem-solving, and overall academic performance. 
• Enhances children's ability to think flexibly and understand diverse perspectives. 
• Supports National Integration: Three-Language Policy encourages communication across linguistic groups. It helps students from different regions understand and respect India’s cultural and linguistic diversity. 
• Improved Job Prospects: Knowing multiple languages boosts opportunities in fields such as tourism, technology, international relations, and media. 

Arguments Against 

• Political Sensitivities: In some states, the policy is seen as Hindi imposition, fuelling regional identity politics and the "sons of the soil" sentiment, which prioritizes local rights, language and culture. 
• Burden on Students and Schools: Students already struggle with basic literacy; a third mandatory language may overload them. Children from monolingual homes may find it stressful or confusing. 
• Implementation Challenges:  Efforts to introduce unrelated languages (e.g., Tamil in Haryana) have failed due to poor planning and lack of demand. 

What Should be the Guiding Principles for an Inclusive and Effective Language Policy in Education? 

• Institutional Preparedness: Prioritise foundational literacy, teaching quality, and learning outcomes over merely adding languages. 
• Balanced Multilingualism: Implementation of the three-language policy should not default to Hindi in all non-Hindi-speaking states.  
  • Instead, promote reciprocal language learning e.g., North Indian students learning Dravidian or tribal languages in Kendriya Vidyalayas. This would reflect mutual respect, not majoritarian privilege. 
• Link Language Learning to Skills and Employability: Integrate language teaching with vocational and digital skills, especially for languages like English and Hindi that offer national mobility.  
  • Similarly, regional language proficiency should be rewarded in state-level employment and public services. 
• Promote Language as a Tool of Social Justice: Language learning should empower the learner, not become a site for political contestation.  
  • Prioritise language equity over language hierarchy recognising every Indian language as a resource, not a barrier.