2 min readMumbaiJun 29, 2026 09:14 PM IST
The Maharashtra government on Monday warned that schools failing to make Marathi a compulsory subject will face stringent action, including cancellation of recognition.
Replying to a starred question during Question Hour in the Legislative Assembly, School Education Minister Dada Bhuse said all schools in the state, irrespective of their medium of instruction, are legally bound to teach Marathi from Class 1 to 10 and conduct examinations in the language.
“If any school fails to comply with the government’s order, it will first be fined Rs 1 lakh. Continued non-compliance will lead to the cancellation of its recognition,” Bhuse said.
The minister also announced a statewide verification drive to ensure schools are implementing the Marathi mandate. Physical inspections will be carried out, and reports will be sought from education department officials. Schools found violating the rules during inspections will face action.
The issue was raised by BJP MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar, who sought clarity on whether schools would be required not only to teach Marathi but also conduct examinations in the language.
During the discussion, MLAs Nitin Raut, Sunil Prabhu and Varun Sardesai questioned how many schools had faced action so far and suggested increasing the existing penalty from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.
Bhuse informed the House that while the original government resolution making Marathi compulsory was issued in 2020, implementation had been inconsistent. To address this, the government has issued a stricter resolution this year, laying down a two-step enforcement mechanism a Rs 1 lakh fine for the first violation, followed by derecognition if the school continues to defy the mandate.
