In Maharashtra, three-language policy creates another flashpoint, avoided temporarily

The three-language policy recently created another flashpoint in Maharashtra after the government’s decision to hold a Hindi exam for its employees came under criticism. Adding to the discussion around linguistic identity, a few incidents in the last few months sparked outrage. Several linguistic and regional groups were up in arms against the government, forcing it to suspend the exam till a final decision is taken on the issue. The confrontation has been temporarily avoided, but linguistic groups have said they will persist till the government scraps a rule made 50 years ago regarding the conduct of such exams.

“We have suspended the exam till further decision. We will review the rule made in 1976 about this Hindi exam under the three-language policy. The situation has changed in the last 50 years. Officers and employees give different exams. We will see if the rule is still relevant or not,” Maharashtra minister Uday Samant told The Hindu on Thursday (May 7, 2026).

Controversial exam

As per a government notification issued last month, a Hindi exam was announced to be held on June 28 for the government’s gazetted officers and non-gazetted employees. The exam was to be held at Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. The notification asked the candidates to submit applications by May 20.

Language of unity: Editorial on Maharashtra and the issue of Hindi

The notification was based on a rule made by the government in 1976 under the three-language policy, government officials said. Under this rule, all gazetted officers and non-gazetted employees who did not study Hindi till Grade X must appear for a Hindi exam within three years of joining service. If they fail to do so, their salary increments are withheld.

“In a State like Maharashtra, what is the need for government employees to give a Hindi exam? All the government proceedings take place in Marathi. The Directorate of Language was formed to promote the spread of Marathi. Instead of doing that, why is it conducting Hindi exams? Is such a rule applicable in other States? We will not leave this issue till the government takes the decision to completely do away with this rule,” Deepak Pawar, head of Marathi Abhyas Kendra, said.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and Shiv Sena UBT too, took an aggressive stance against the exam.

‘Forced imposition of Hindi’

Several rights groups have accused the government of trying to impose Hindi on the State. “All the governments that came to power since 1976 are guilty of holding the employees to ransom over this issue. Why was this exam being conducted for all these years? If we try to impose Marathi on the auto and taxi drivers, they immediately threaten to agitate. But why haven’t the Marathi employees spoken a word against it for all these years?” asked Mr. Pawar.

He accused the government of consistently trying to push Hindi through several decisions. “They first tried to make Hindi compulsory in primary education. When there was a backlash, they didn’t scarp it. They instead brought in a committee to look into it. After the committee was given several extensions, its report has not yet been made public. Then, the government went soft on the rule to make Marathi compulsory for auto and taxi drivers. How can those living in Maharashtra for their livelihoods refuse to learn Marathi? And now this exam,” he said.

Whether the government sees sense in making a quick decision after reviewing the rule will decide whether the issue will steamroll into a confrontation or not.