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As per the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the medium of instruction for students in both public and private schools until at least Class 5, but preferably till Class 8 and beyond, will be in the home language or the mother tongue or the local language or the regional language.
The NEP 2020 introduces the three-language formula, encouraging students to learn — R1, R2, and R3 (a third language). While it encourages the use of the mother tongue/local language until at least Class 5 (preferably beyond), it does not limit language learning to just R1 and R2. State governments and school boards have the flexibility to choose which languages to offer, but the three-language formula remains the overarching framework.
However, the Maharashtra government has decided to make Hindi a compulsory third language from Classes 1 to 5, which is in contravention of the NEP 2020.
The decision was announced on April 17, and it mandates that Hindi be taught alongside Marathi and English.
Opposition to the decision
According to Laxmikant Deshmukh, the chairperson of the Maharashtra government-appointed Language Consultation Committee, the move is neither conducive to children’s psychological growth nor is it practical due to the woefully inadequate school infrastructure for primary education.
Mr. Deshmukh said that the committee has already written a letter to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis advising to revoke the decision.

1. There are several reasons for opposing the move.
2. One of the reasons is that children in the age group of 6-11 have a limited listening capacity and cannot easily learn a third language.
3. Another reason is the lack of meritorious teachers and good infrastructure in schools.
4. The Annual Status of Education Report states that even in Class 8, 30% students cannot read lessons in their mother tongue, and at least 53% cannot read English properly.
5. Mr. Deshmukh also pointed out that the recruitment of teachers has been stopped, which would make it difficult for children to learn an additional language.

Furthermore, there are cultural reasons for opposing the decision.
“We fought for the formation of Maharashtra on linguistic basis. And yet, those who come from ‘outside’ insult Maharashtrians, refuse to speak Marathi,”
Mr. Deshmukh added.

“If you [the government] have accepted NEP, how can you bypass it?” Mr. Deshmukh said, adding that the introduction of a third language during secondary school was done on the recommendations of the Kothari Education Commission in 1968.

“I don’t know why we have suddenly made Hindi compulsory. Did the people of the State demand it? In fact, there have been protests in the State as certain groups refused to learn Marathi. In other countries, only one language is taught. We are multilingual. We learn two languages in primary years. But three languages will be burdensome for such small children,”
he said.
“When the State government issued an order to declare Hindi as a compulsory third language, we were shocked. Why were we not consulted?”
he said.
“We don’t oppose Hindi. We are learning it. But the decision to make Hindi mandatory as the third language is not scientific,”
Mr. Deshmukh said.

The NEP 2020 states that the home or local language shall continue to be taught as a language wherever possible after the introduction of a third language.
However, the committee disagrees with this statement.
“We lack the resources to implement the NEP 2020 properly,”
Mr. Deshmukh said.
“The State government has accepted the NEP 2020, but it seems that the decision to introduce a third language has been taken without proper consideration of the resources available.”

The committee has already written a letter to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis advising to revoke the decision.
“We urge the Chief Minister to reconsider the decision and take a more scientific approach to language education,”
Mr. Deshmukh said.
“We are willing to work with the State government to develop a language plan that is more in line with the NEP 2020 and takes into account the needs and resources of the State,”
he added.

The decision to make Hindi a compulsory third language from Classes 1 to 5 has sparked a lot of debate and controversy.
While some people support the decision, others, like Mr.