The Maharashtra government has made it mandatory for all schools across the state, regardless of management, medium of instruction, or education board, to appoint teachers with specified qualifications in Marathi to teach the language starting this academic year.
Issuing a strict warning, the state has said that failure to comply with the directive will invite stringent action, including cancellation of a school's licence.
To ensure effective implementation of the Marathi language policy, the Education Department has constituted inspection teams comprising Deputy Directors of Education, Education Officers, and Education Inspectors. These teams will also include experienced teachers with the prescribed Marathi qualifications. They have been tasked with verifying compliance in schools affiliated with non-state boards within two months of the rollout and submitting a detailed report to the Director of Education (Secondary and Higher Secondary).
The move builds on earlier provisions that required all school staff to possess a working knowledge of Marathi to facilitate its teaching across institutions, regardless of affiliation or medium.
The policy traces its roots to the Maharashtra Compulsory Teaching and Learning of Marathi Language in Schools Act, 2020, which made Marathi a compulsory subject in all schools. However, implementation was affected during the pandemic, prompting temporary relaxations.
School Education Minister Dadaji Bhuse, addressing the Legislative Assembly on March 13, 2026, said a formal notification had been issued to enforce Marathi as a compulsory subject across all schools in the state.
"If Marathi is not being taught, necessary action will be taken after making the management aware of the legal requirements," Bhuse said.
"As Marathi is the official language of the state, the government will not compromise on ensuring that the new generation learns it."
The rule applies uniformly to government, private, unaided, and international board schools operating in Maharashtra.
