Maharashtra Govt Mandates Marathi Teaching In Classes 1-10, Non-Compliant Schools Face ₹1 Lakh Fine

Mumbai: Cracking the whip on institutions across Maharashtra, the state government has decided to strictly enforce legislation that makes the teaching of Marathi mandatory from Classes 1 to 10. Schools that fail to implement the policy may face a penalty of ₹1 lakh and risk losing both their recognition and the NOC issued by the government.

Education Commissioner Designated as Final Authority for De-Recognition

According to a Government Resolution (GR) issued on Friday, the Education Commissioner has been designated as the final authority to issue orders for such de-recognition.

To strictly enforce the Maharashtra Compulsory Teaching and Learning of Marathi Language in Schools Act, 2020, the school education department has outlined specific procedures to penalise non-compliant schools. While teaching Marathi has been mandatory in all schools since the 2020-21 academic year, irrespective of board affiliations, the procedure to deal with erring institutions was not defined until now. The department has further directed schools to appoint eligible, duly qualified teachers for the language.

Inspection Teams to Include Marathi Expert and Education Officers

Under the Act, divisional deputy directors of school education are the competent authorities to oversee enforcement. They will form inspection teams comprising a Marathi language expert, the deputy director, the district education officer, and the education inspector. These teams will conduct inspections two months into each academic year to verify compliance and submit reports to the Director of School Education (Secondary and Higher Secondary).

If an inspection reveals the language is not being taught, the divisional deputy directors of school education hold the authority to serve a show-cause notice. The school management must provide a response within 15 days. If the explanation is unsatisfactory, the deputy director may impose a penalty of ₹1 lakh. Management may appeal the decision before the Director of School Education. If the appeal is rejected and non-compliance continues after a 12-step administrative process, the director can recommend de-recognition to the Education Commissioner.

Activist Seeks Clarity on First, Second or Third Language Status

Deepak Pawar, founder of Marathi Abhyas Kendra, which has been at the forefront of preserving Marathi schools, stated that the government should provide clarity on whether Marathi will be taught as the first, second, or third language. “Several schools only teach the language for 50 marks because of the grading system. It should be made a complete 100 marks paper and included in the board exams for the schools to take them seriously,” Pawar said, adding that without effective management, the mandate could create confusion within the curriculum.

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