Marathi Mandatory, But How Will Drivers Be Tested? RTO Faces Fresh Dilemma

Mumbai, August 18, 2026: The Maharashtra Transport Department has made practical Marathi knowledge mandatory for commercial passenger vehicle drivers, but it now faces a key question: how will the language skills of more than eight lakh drivers who did not participate in the government’s Marathi learning campaign be tested? The 105-day ‘Learn Marathi’ campaign saw participation from over 1.65 lakh drivers, leaving a large gap between the number trained and the total number of valid permits in the state.

Maharashtra currently has 9,78,541 valid auto-rickshaw and taxi permits, including 9,16,884 for autos and 61,657 for taxis. Based on these figures, more than 8.13 lakh permit holders did not participate in the campaign.

While the Marathi Language Department will continue supporting drivers who wish to learn the language, the procedure for testing those who have not undergone the course remains unclear.

Test Format Yet To Be Finalised

The revised rules issued on August 12 require professional passenger vehicle drivers to have practical knowledge of Marathi. However, officials are yet to finalise the format of the language test, eligibility criteria, testing authority and implementation mechanism. This has raised questions over whether the assessment framework should have been prepared before the rules came into force.

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Next Steps On Wednesday

The Transport Department had launched the 105-day campaign to give drivers an opportunity to learn Marathi before implementation. However, officials now need to decide how to deal with those who did not participate.

A meeting of senior officials will be held on Wednesday in the presence of Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik to discuss the next course of action for the remaining drivers.

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