Pune: The Maharashtra State education Minister Varsha Gaikwad on Monday declared Marathi to be a compulsory subject in CBSE, ICSE, Cambridge and CISCE schools across Maharashtra.

The demand for Marathi subject to be made compulsory was since 2018. But the newly formed state government of Maha Vikas Agadi had stressed and focused on it since the formation of the government.

On February 27, this year passed the law before the Maharashtra state Legislative Council. The law came on “Marathi Rajbhasha Din” (Marathi language day). This day is celebrated on February 27, the remembrance to the Birth Anniversary of great poet V V Shirwadkar.

A Government Resolution (GR) has been passed, and implementation will be followed in this academic year of 2020-21. As per the GR, Marathi will be a compulsory subject taught in all schools including the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) as well as applicable to IB and NIOS too.

The government claims that the compulsory Marathi subject has come up on a similar initiative started by many states to implement their regional language in the academic syllabus. States such as Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Karnataka and Kerala have already started this.

The GR talks about Marathi subject in three stages which can be made compulsory in those schools where it is not taught and studied.

However, GR is not talking about recruitment or qualified staff. The books and syllabus will be printed at Balbharti. But the schools are given discretionary power if any student who is non-familiar with language from the beginning and has come from foreign, the school authority will have the power to make decisions on it.