- Government/Policy: Government of Maharashtra directive under the State Curriculum Framework (SCF) 2024.
- Core Directive: Declares Hindi as the default third language for Classes 1 to 5.
- Applicable Schools: Marathi medium and English medium schools.
- Exemption/Option: Students can opt to study another Indian language only if 20 students per class make the request.
- Alignment: The directive is said to be aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 (which promotes the three-language formula).
- Controversy/Criticism:
- Criticised by the opposition and language activists.
- Viewed as a “veiled attempt to reimpose Hindi.”
- Goes against earlier assurances that Hindi would not be mandatory.