Premium

State panel seeks meet with CM to reiterate opposition to three language policy

The letter was sent on February 28 based on a unanimous decision by the 29-member committee in a meeting held on February 12.

2 min readPuneUpdated: Mar 6, 2026 06:17 PM IST

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. (Source: Express Archives)

Maharashtra’s Language Advisory Committee has sought a meeting with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to reiterate its opposition to teaching three languages in schools from Class 1 onwards. Led by writer and retired IAS officer Laxmikant Deshmukh, the committee seeks to explain the ‘scientific and educational’ reasons behind its opposition.

The letter was sent on February 28 based on a unanimous decision by the 29-member committee in a meeting held on February 12.

The committee has consistently opposed the early introduction of three languages since the issue arose in April 2025, after the government decided to introduce Hindi as the third language from class 1 onwards. After opposition from academic and political quarters, the GR was rolled back. A revised GR was released in June which made Hindi the default third language and allowed for another third language to be chosen if more than 20 students made such a request.

Both these GRs were revoked in July and a separate three-language formula committee led by Narendra Jadhav was formed in June 2025 to study the issue. This committee submitted its report to the government in February 2026.

Laxmikant Deshmukh said on March 4, “Now that the report of Dr Narendra Jadhav Committee has been submitted and the state government may take a decision on the matter in the near future, the Language Advisory Committee, after considering this in its meeting in February 2026, has once again taken the position that making the third language mandatory from class 1 is detrimental to the educational development of students.”

He added, “We have requested the Chief Minister for a day and time so that the committee can present its scientific and educational reasons for not making the third language compulsory from class 1 personally to him. We insist that this meeting should take place before the final decision is taken on the report of Dr. Narendra Jadhav Committee.”

Soham Shah

Soham Shah is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Pune. A journalism graduate with a background in fact-checking, he brings a meticulous and research-oriented approach to his current reporting. Professional Background Role: Correspondent coverig education and city affairs in Pune. Specialization: His primary beat is education, but he also maintains a strong focus on civic issues, public health, human rights, and state politics. Key Strength: Soham focuses on data-driven reporting on school and college education, government reports, and public infrastructure. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) His late 2025 work highlights a transition from education-centric reporting to hard-hitting investigative and human-rights stories: 1. Investigations & Governance "Express Impact: Mother's name now a must to download birth certificate from PMC site" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant policy change by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) following his earlier reports on gender inclusivity in administrative documents. "44-Acre Mahar Land Controversy: In June, Pune official sought land eviction at Pawar son firm behest" (Nov 9, 2025): An investigative piece on real estate irregularities involving high-profile political families. 2. Education & Campus Life Faculty crisis at SPPU hits research, admin work: 62% of govt-sanctioned posts vacant, over 75% in many depts (Sept 12, 2025): An investigative piece on professor vacancies at Savitribai Phule Pune University. "Maharashtra’s controversial third language policy: Why National Curriculum Framework recommends a third language from Class 6" (July 2): This detailed piece unpacks reasons behind why the state's move to introduce a third language from class 1 was controversial. "Decline in number of schools, teachers in Maharashtra but student enrolment up: Report" (Jan 2025): Analyzing discrepancies in the state's education data despite rising student numbers. 3. Human Rights & Social Issues "Aanchal Mamidawar was brave after her family killed her boyfriend" (Dec 17, 2025): A deeply personal and hard-hitting opinion piece/column on the "crime of love" and honor killings in modern India. "'People disrespect the disabled': Meet the man who has become face of racist attacks on Indians" (Nov 29, 2025): A profile of a Pune resident with severe physical deformities who became the target of global online harassment, highlighting issues of disability and cyber-bullying. Signature Style Soham is known for his civil-liberties lens. His reporting frequently champions the rights of the marginalized—whether it's students fighting for campus democracy, victims of regressive social practices, or residents struggling with crumbling urban infrastructure (as seen in his "Breathless Pune" contributions). He is adept at linking hyper-local Pune issues to larger national conversations about law and liberty. X (Twitter): @SohamShah07 ... Read More

Click here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our stories

Tags:
language

Loading Recommendations...

Apr 18: Latest News

Live Blog