The Maharashtra School Education Department has issued a stern warning to educational institutions across the state: teach Marathi or face the consequences. According to a new Government Resolution (GR) released on Friday, schools that fail to comply with the state’s mandatory language policy risk financial penalties of up to Rs 1 lakh and the potential cancellation of their official recognition.
Key Details of the Enforcement
This crackdown specifically targets institutions, often those affiliated with central boards—that have been lax in implementing the Maharashtra Compulsory Teaching and Learning of Marathi Language Act, 2020.
- Mandatory Requirement: Marathi must be taught as a compulsory subject from Classes 1 to 10.
- Universal Application: The law applies to all schools within the state, regardless of whether they follow state, central, or international boards, or what their primary medium of instruction is.
- Stiff Penalties: Non-compliance now carries the threat of significant monetary fines and the “death penalty” for a school’s operations: derecognition.
The move reinforces a policy that has been in effect since the 2020–21 academic year, signaling that the state is no longer willing to overlook schools that sidestep these linguistic requirements.
