Hindi Not Mandatory as Third Language Yet, Clarifies Maharashtra Education Minister
Pune, 26th May 2025: Maharashtra School Education Minister Dada Bhuse on Sunday clarified that the proposal to introduce Hindi as a compulsory third language from Class I has been put on hold. He assured that, for now, schools will continue to follow the current language structure.
Speaking to reporters after attending the Pune Children’s Book Fair at Ganesh Kala Krida Manch—an event jointly organised by the National Book Trust, Pune Municipal Corporation, and Pune Book Festival Samvad—Bhuse said, “We are in the process of collecting feedback from various stakeholders, including educationists and subject matter experts. No final decision has been taken yet. The existing system will continue until we evaluate all suggestions.”
Addressing concerns over changes to scholarship examinations, which are currently conducted for students in Classes V and VIII, Bhuse mentioned that a review is underway. “There is an ongoing discussion about whether these exams should be shifted to Classes IV and VII. A committee of experts has been formed to examine this possibility. We are awaiting their report,” he stated.
The minister also responded to queries about the new in-house quota guidelines for First Year Junior College (FYJC) admissions, which have caused confusion among several school and college managements. Under the revised rule, only students from schools situated within the same campus as the junior college are eligible for the in-house quota, even if the schools and college are run by the same management in the same city.
“If educational institutions have concerns about the revised quota policy, they are welcome to submit their representations to the department. We will carefully review all inputs before arriving at a decision,” Bhuse added.
