MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government has put on hold the Hindi language examination for gazetted officers and non-gazetted employees, following mounting political opposition and the threat of protests. The announcement was made by state Marathi language minister, Uday Samant, on Wednesday. Samant said the government would also review the need for the exam in the state. It was scheduled to be held on June 28.
The controversy reflects the broader debate over the language policy in Maharashtra, with critics questioning the need to mandate Hindi in a state where Marathi is the official language.
“The scheduled Hindi language examination for government officers and others has been postponed. I have discussed the issue with the principal secretary of the department, Kiran Kulkarni, and was told that it is an annual examination that is not being conducted as per the 1976 rules,” said Samant.
“As the state’s Marathi language minister, I will personally review whether a Hindi language examination is necessary in the state. If it is found necessary, we will conduct it; otherwise, it will be scrapped,” said Samant, a Shiv Sena minister in the BJP-led government.
Language is a politically sensitive issue in Maharashtra, where parties across the political spectrum have often taken strong positions on Marathi identity and its use in public life. Only recently, the state had made it mandatory for auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers to learn Marathi. After unions threatened disruptions, the government moved from enforcement to a consultative approach.
A controversy was also stoked last year, when the state directed that Hindi would be a mandatory third language from Classes 1 to 5 across the state. The move was part of the phased implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP). Later, the decision was withdrawn following strong opposition.
Language activists and political parties are now questioning the need for a test of Hindi for government officers in a state where Marathi is the official language. The Marathi Abhyas Kendra had warned of protests outside the language directorate if the government did not withdraw the test. Its president Dr Deepak Pawar said it was unnecessary to hold such a test in a Marathi-speaking state.
“Government employees should be able to work and communicate in Marathi. But when Marathi is already the language of administration, why is there a need to assess employees’ Hindi proficiency every year,” he asked. He questioned whether similar Hindi exams are required of government employees in other non-Hindi-speaking states.
MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande accused the government of attempting to impose Hindi to please their leadership in Delhi.
