MUMBAI, June 29 -- In an exceptional move, a government-appointed committee has opposed the state's own language education policy, urging chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to roll back the decision to introduce Hindi as a compulsory third language in primary school. The Language Advisory Committee, which gives recommendations to the government on matters related to the Marathi language, passed a resolution on Friday demanding that no third language, including Hindi, be taught before Class 5. The resolution was passed during a meeting held in Pune, attended by 20 out of 27 members of the committee. "This is the first time a government-backed body has taken such a stand against a government decision," said committee chairman Laxmikant Deshmukh. "We are not against Hindi or any other language, but imposing it in early schooling is neither educationally sound nor culturally appropriate. Language learning in the early years must focus on the mother tongue for strong foundational skills." Deshmukh added that the committee had previously flagged concerns after the government's decision to make Hindi a part of the primary school curriculum but its objections were brushed aside.P2...