Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday firmly reiterated his government’s commitment to implementing the three-language formula across the state in school. He said the policy would be enforced ‘100 per cent’—though with flexibility on the choice of third language.
Speaking at the Mumbai Tak Baithak, a YouTube interview series of India Today group’s regional Marathi YouTube channel, Fadnavis clarified the government’s stance on the much-debated language issue, saying the earlier resolution (GR) mandating Hindi as the third language was reviewed following widespread consultations.
“The initial concern raised was—why make Hindi compulsory? We accepted that concern and amended the GR. Now, if a student wishes to choose Hindi, they may, or else any other Indian language can be selected. We are even open to teaching the language online if there are not enough students for a dedicated class,” he said.
The CM’s comments come in the wake of a joint rally by Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray on July 5, where the Thackeray brothers voiced concern over the imposition of Hindi but maintained they were not opposed to the language itself. “We won’t tolerate forced imposition,” Uddhav had warned during the event.
Fadnavis, however, countered the criticism by stating that the issue was being politicised unnecessarily. “This is not a matter of prestige for us, but one of inclusive education. Whether the Trilingual Formula starts from Class 1 or later, that will be decided by the expert committee chaired by Narendra Jadhav. But the Three language formula will be implemented in Maharashtra 100 percent. We are not here to undermine any Indian language in favour of English,” he said.
Addressing concerns around feasibility, especially with low enrolment in certain languages, Fadnavis pointed out logistical challenges: “What if only two students opt for Telugu—where do we find teachers? That’s why we are open to hybrid or digital solutions.”
Fadnavis also took a swipe at Uddhav Thackeray, calling his current opposition a ‘policy U-turn.’ “It was the previous MVA government that first proposed mandatory Hindi and English from Class 1 to 12. Uddhav Thackeray not only backed that decision but even formed a committee to implement it. His party’s deputy leader was part of that very panel. Now they’re opposing it. I am surprised by the flip-flop,” he remarked.
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The three-language formula GR, which mandates the study of three languages in school—typically Marathi and English as compulsory and Hindi as a third language—had become controversial in the state with Sena UBT and MNS terming it as an imposition of Hindi over Marathi.
After the public backlash, just ahead of monsoon session on June 28, Fadnavis had announced that they are withdrawing the GR on the three-language formula and formulating a committee to take a decision on it.
