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The three-language policy precocious created different flashpoint successful Maharashtra aft the government’s decision to clasp a Hindi exam for its employees came nether criticism. Adding to the treatment astir linguistic identity, a fewer incidents successful the past fewer months sparked outrage. Several linguistic and determination groups were up successful arms against the government, forcing it to suspend the exam till a last determination is taken connected the issue. The confrontation has been temporarily avoided, but linguistic groups person said they volition persist till the authorities scraps a regularisation made 50 years agone regarding the behaviour of specified exams.
“We person suspended the exam till further decision. We volition reappraisal the regularisation made successful 1976 astir this Hindi exam nether the three-language policy. The concern has changed successful the past 50 years. Officers and employees springiness antithetic exams. We volition spot if the regularisation is inactive applicable oregon not,” Maharashtra curate Uday Samant told The Hindu connected Thursday (May 7, 2026).
Controversial exam
As per a authorities notification issued past month, a Hindi exam was announced to beryllium held connected June 28 for the government’s gazetted officers and non-gazetted employees. The exam was to beryllium held astatine Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. The notification asked the candidates to taxable applications by May 20.
Language of unity: Editorial connected Maharashtra and the contented of Hindi
The notification was based connected a regularisation made by the authorities successful 1976 nether the three-language policy, authorities officials said. Under this rule, each gazetted officers and non-gazetted employees who did not survey Hindi till Grade X indispensable look for a Hindi exam wrong 3 years of joining service. If they neglect to bash so, their wage increments are withheld.
“In a State similar Maharashtra, what is the request for authorities employees to springiness a Hindi exam? All the authorities proceedings instrumentality spot successful Marathi. The Directorate of Language was formed to beforehand the dispersed of Marathi. Instead of doing that, wherefore is it conducting Hindi exams? Is specified a regularisation applicable successful different States? We volition not permission this contented till the authorities takes the determination to wholly bash distant with this rule,” Deepak Pawar, caput of Marathi Abhyas Kendra, said.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and Shiv Sena UBT too, took an assertive stance against the exam.
‘Forced imposition of Hindi’
Several rights groups person accused the authorities of trying to enforce Hindi connected the State. “All the governments that came to powerfulness since 1976 are blameworthy of holding the employees to ransom implicit this issue. Why was this exam being conducted for each these years? If we effort to enforce Marathi connected the car and taxi drivers, they instantly endanger to agitate. But wherefore haven’t the Marathi employees spoken a connection against it for each these years?” asked Mr. Pawar.
He accused the authorities of consistently trying to propulsion Hindi done respective decisions. “They archetypal tried to marque Hindi compulsory successful superior education. When determination was a backlash, they didn’t scarp it. They alternatively brought successful a committee to look into it. After the committee was fixed respective extensions, its study has not yet been made public. Then, the authorities went brushed connected the regularisation to marque Marathi compulsory for car and taxi drivers. How tin those surviving successful Maharashtra for their livelihoods garbage to larn Marathi? And present this exam,” helium said.
Whether the authorities sees consciousness successful making a speedy determination aft reviewing the regularisation volition determine whether the contented volition steamroll into a confrontation oregon not.
