Mumbai, June 18 -- Maharashtra's School Education Minister Dada Bhuse clarified on Wednesday that Hindi instruction for students in classes 1 to 5 is voluntary, not compulsory, following swift amendments to a controversial government order (GR).
The state government initially issued an order late Tuesday night mandating Hindi as the third language in Marathi and English medium schools. However, facing immediate opposition from various groups, the government revised its order on Wednesday, replacing the term "mandatory" with "generally" regarding Hindi's status as the third language.
Minister Bhuse, addressing media, explained the revised policy: interested students can now choose a third language starting from class 5. Schools will be req...