India, June 19 -- Hindi will not be a compulsory third language in Maharashtra state board schools, but it will be the default choice unless at least 20 students in a class opt for an alternative language, according to a government resolution (GR) issued late Tuesday.

This comes months after the Maharashtra government's proposal to make Hindi compulsory starting from Class 1 triggered widespread criticism from educationists and opposition political parties, who considered it an imposition of Hindi and an undermining of Marathi.

The revised order has reignited criticism of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Mahayuti government on the topic, with experts and opposition leaders saying it was in effect a backdoor entry of the compulsory-Hindi p...