Maharashtra approves New Education Policy 2020, Hindi made mandatory as third language for classes 1to 5

In a significant development amid the ongoing language row, the Maharashtra government has announced that Hindi will be introduced as a compulsory third language for students from Classes 1 to 5 starting from the 2025–26 academic session. The decision was made public through a Government Resolution (GR) issued by the school education department on Wednesday.

As of now, the three-language formula has been applied only at the secondary education stage. With this move, the formula will now extend to primary education with an aim to reshape the linguistic framework across Marathi-medium and English-medium schools. According to the newly adopted State Curriculum Framework, students in both mediums will be required to begin learning Hindi from Class 1 itself.

For schools with mediums of instruction other than Marathi or English, Marathi and English will become compulsory, while the respective medium of instruction will serve as the third language. The GR outlines a four-phase rollout of the NEP, beginning with Class 1 in 2025–26. The NEP also introduces a shift from the traditional 10+2+3 structure to a more flexible and age-appropriate 5+3+3+4 model, segmenting school education into four distinct stages:

• Foundation Stage (Ages 3 to 8)
• Preparatory Stage (Classes 3 to 5)
• Pre-Secondary Stage (Classes 6 to 8)
• Secondary Stage (Classes 9 to 12)

"This new policy restructures the previous 10+2+3 system into a 5+3+3+4 format, covering education from foundational to higher levels. The policy is being gradually implemented in the state. It is built on five pillars: Access, Equity, Quality, Affordability, and Accountability, and aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be achieved by 2030," Deputy Secretary of the state education department Tushar Mahajan said in a notice.

The notification stated that the Maharashtra government, led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, has constituted multiple committees to oversee the phased rollout of the policy, including a State Steering Committee headed by the Minister of School Education.