Context :
- Maharashtra government has withdrawn two government orders introducing a three-language policy in primary education (Classes 1–5), following sustained opposition.
- A committee led by economist and educationist Narendra Jadhav has been constituted to re-examine the future of the policy.
Why in News?
- The decision sparked public and political backlash, especially around the potential imposition of Hindi as a compulsory language.
- Critics saw it as a violation of regional language autonomy and feared it may dilute Marathi linguistic identity.
Key Features of Scrapped Policy:
- The orders mandated that all primary school students in government and aided schools study three languages, likely:
- Marathi (State language),
- Hindi (second Indian language),
- English (foreign language).
- Policy was aligned with National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which proposes a similar structure.
Political & Social Reactions:
- Opposition from Shiv Sena (UBT), Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, NCP and several activist-academic groups.
- Protested perceived imposition of Hindi and erosion of Marathi language rights.
- Government rolled back policy temporarily, citing the need for wider consultation.
Implications for Centre–State Relations:
- The issue reflects deeper tensions between national integration efforts and linguistic federalism.
- Education is on the Concurrent List—yet states hold key autonomy over curricular implementation.
Larger Debate: Language Policy and NEP 2020
- NEP 2020 promotes the three-language formula, allowing flexibility in the selection of languages.
- Yet, in practice, it may lead to the default inclusion of Hindi in non-Hindi-speaking states.
- Concerns over Hindi-Hegemony resurface, especially in states with strong regional linguistic identities (e.g., Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka).
Challenges in Implementation:
- Resource Constraints – Many schools lack the infrastructure or faculty to offer multiple language options.
- Demand-Supply Mismatch – Despite multiple languages on paper, most students are nudged towards a limited set (Hindi, English, regional language).
- Political Instrumentalisation – Language policy is often tied to identity politics, reducing pedagogical reforms to ideological battlegrounds.
Way Forward:
- Inclusive Consultations with regional stakeholders to ensure any language policy respects local linguistic and cultural identities.
- Implement NEP’s flexibility genuinely by:
- Allowing district-level choice based on student demand.
- Providing teacher training and infrastructure for lesser-taught Indian languages.
- Avoid top-down approaches that risk alienating regional sentiments.
| UPSC Relevance : GS2 – Governance, Education Policy, Federalism GS1 – Indian Society: Language and Cultural Diversity Mains Practice Question: Q. Language is not merely a means of communication but a marker of cultural identity. Examine this statement in the context of the three-language policy and the recent controversy in Maharashtra. (Answer in 250 words) |