Why in News?

The Maharashtra government scrapped its government resolutions (GRs) mandating Hindi as a compulsory third language from Grades 1 to 5 in Marathi and English medium schools.   

About the Decision

• Though the move was in line with National Education Policy (NEP), 2020, which promotes multilingualism through the three-language formula, it was withdrawn due to concerns over linguistic identity, cultural hegemony, and the feasibility of implementation.  
• The government has appointed a committee under renowned economist Dr. Narendra Jadhav to study the three-language policy.

What Does the NEP 2020 Lay Down on Language?  

Medium of Instruction 

• Mother tongue to be the medium of instruction till at least Grade 5, preferably till Grade 8 and beyond. 
• Bilingual teaching encouraged—home language alongside English, especially in early grades. 

Multilingualism: 

• Offers flexibility—no language imposition on any state. 
• Unlike NEP 1968, it allows states to decide their language mix. 
• Promotes inclusion of classical languages like Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam 

Foreign Languages 

• The NEP 2020 introduces the option for students to learn foreign languages, such as Korean, Japanese, French, German, and Spanish, at the secondary level. 
• The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has outlined that students will learn two Indian languages until Class 10, with the option to choose one Indian language and one foreign language in Classes 11 and 12.

What are the Constitutional Provisions Regarding Language?  

• Article 29: Protects the right of citizens to conserve their distinct language and culture.  
• Article 343: Declares Hindi in Devanagari script as the official language of the Union; allows continued use of English for official purposes for 15 years from 1950 (later extended by legislation).  
• Article 346: Governs the official language for communication between states and with the Union. Hindi may be used if the states involved agree.  
• Article 347: Allows the President to recognize a language as an official language of a state or part thereof, if a substantial section of the population demands it.  
• Article 350A: Directs states to provide primary education in the mother tongue for linguistic minority children.  
• Article 350B: Provides for a Special Officer for Linguistic Minorities, appointed by the President, to report on the implementation of safeguards for linguistic minorities.  
• Article 351: Obligates the Union to promote Hindi while enriching it with elements from other Indian languages.  
• Eighth Schedule: Lists 22 officially recognized languages, including Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, and others, referred to as "Scheduled Languages."