Mumbai: In a landmark move that adds a new chapter to the ongoing language policy debate, the Maharashtra government has declared that Hindi will be a compulsory third language for all students from Classes 1 to 5 starting in the 2025–26 academic year. The announcement was made via a Government Resolution (GR) released by the school education department, signaling a major change in the linguistic structure of primary education in the state.
So far, the three-language formula—which includes the study of a regional language, Hindi, and English—was enforced only at the secondary level. With this new GR, the government is expanding the policy into the primary education stage, covering Marathi-medium and English-medium schools alike.
Under the updated State Curriculum Framework, students will now start learning Hindi from Class 1. For schools using languages other than Marathi or English as the medium of instruction, Marathi and English will be compulsory, while the language of instruction will serve as the third language.
The rollout aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) and will be implemented in four phases, beginning with Class 1 in 2025–26. The NEP aims to restructure the academic model from the conventional 10+2+3 system to a more child-centric and progressive 5+3+3+4 system, categorized into:
Foundation Stage (Ages 3–8)
Preparatory Stage (Classes 3–5)
Pre-Secondary Stage (Classes 6–8)
Secondary Stage (Classes 9–12)
Explaining the move, Deputy Secretary of the School Education Department, Tushar Mahajan, said, “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.”
