Hindi was there in classes 5, 6, 7, now must at primary level: Maha govt clarifies

Amid criticism over the Maharashtra government's decision to make Hindi a compulsory third language, state Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar on Sunday clarified that Hindi will only be taught from Classes 1 to 5 to provide students a basic understanding of the language.

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Kesarkar said the controversy stems from a misunderstanding, as Hindi was already a compulsory subject in Classes 5 to 7 under the previous framework.

"Hindi was already compulsory for Classes 5, 6, and 7. Now, that compulsion is being removed from class 6 onwards... Hindi will be taught only at the primary level -- from classes 1 to 5 -- to give students a basic grasp of the language, which is widely spoken across the country," he said.