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Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Hindi default 3rd language in Maharashtra schools unless 20 students pick alternative
Mumbai: Hindi will not be a compulsory third language in Maharashtra state board schools, but it will be the default choice unless at least 20 students in a class opt for an alternative language, according to a government resolution (GR) issued late Tuesday. This comes months after the Maharashtra government's proposal to make Hindi compulsory starting from Class 1 triggered widespread criticism from educationists and opposition political parties, who considered it an imposition of Hindi and an undermining of Marathi. The revised order has reignited criticism of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Mahayuti government on the topic, with experts and opposition leaders saying it was in effect a backdoor entry of the compulsory-Hindi policy and a betrayal of the Marathi people. As per the new GR, issued by the state school education department, while a third language is mandatory, Hindi will no longer be compulsory. However, it will 'in general' be the third language for Classes 1-5 in Marathi- and English-medium schools. Schools or parents may choose an alternative Indian language, provided that at least 20 students in a class opt for it. If this threshold is met, a teacher for that language will be appointed, or it will be taught online. The GR is part of the ongoing implementation of the State Curriculum Framework for School Education 2024, which is aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Critics argued that while the GR appears to offer flexibility, it effectively imposes Hindi by making it difficult to opt for other languages. 'This is again the compulsion of Hindi in another form,' said an education expert, pointing out the practical hurdles in securing a teacher for a different language or getting 20 students per class to opt for it. The new directive appears to contradict the statements of state education minister Dadaji Bhuse in April, assuring that Hindi would not be imposed. After a GR proposing Hindi as a compulsory third language from Class 1 triggered widespread backlash, Bhuse had said that Hindi would no longer be mandatory in the early grades. He later said that the government had received suggestions to introduce Hindi from Class 3 instead, adding that the decision was being reconsidered. He had also said that the three-language formula was 'on hold'. Education experts expressed strong dissent over the new GR. 'The government wants to come in through the back door and crush Marathi children by burdening their fragile brains with Hindi,' said Ramesh Panse, senior educationist and member of the steering committee for the State Curriculum Framework. 'The parents of Marathi children should foil this plot. Political parties that claim to support Marathi must wake up and oppose this policy on a large scale to protect Marathi students.' Vasant Kalpande, former director of school education, argued that the requirement for 20 students to opt for a non-Hindi language and the provision to teach such languages only online are veiled attempts to discourage their selection. 'Although Marathi and Hindi share a similar script, it is too much to expect young students to understand the differences and nuances between them at such an early age,' said Kalpande. He added that Hindi is not a compulsory third language in states like Gujarat and Assam. Deepak Pawar, founder of the Marathi Bhasha Abhyas Kendra, which works to promote the Marathi language, accused the Maharashtra government of breaking its promise. 'The government has betrayed the Marathi people. If we stay silent now, it will pave the way for dismantling the federal structure and erasing the legacy of the Samyukta Maharashtra movement,' he said.
The Print
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Print
‘Never discussed trade or mediation over Pakistan issue during Op Sindoor'—Modi to Trump
PM Modi informed Trump during the call that the understanding reached between New Delhi and Islamabad to halt military action was achieved between 'existing channels' of the two armies, and was at the 'request of Pakistan', Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said in a statement, just as Modi was set to depart Canada for Croatia. At the G7 summit, Modi held a number of meetings, including with his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney. Trump had invited Modi for a stop-over visit to Washington D.C. on his way back from the G7 Summit in Canada, which was declined by the Indian prime minister due to his scheduled visit to Croatia on 18 June. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi made it clear to US President Donald J. Trump during a call between the two leaders Tuesday that at no point during Operation Sindoor last month, was trade or mediation on the India-Pakistan issue discussed with the US administration. The US administration was the first to announce that both India and Pakistan had agreed to halt their military operations on the evening of 10 May, and President Trump has, at least 14 times in public, taken credit for the same, claiming that he had used 'trade' to arrive at the understanding. Trump's claims have since become a political issue domestically for Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government, with opposition parties escalating the matter. 'Prime Minister Modi made it clear to President Trump that during this entire episode [Operation Sindoor], at no time, at any level, were issues such as India-US trade deal or mediation by the US between India and Pakistan discussed,' Misri said in the statement. 'Prime Minister Modi stressed that India has never accepted mediation, does not accept it, and will never accept it. There is complete political unanimity in India on this issue.' This is the first call between the two leaders since India launched Operation Sindoor on 7 May. The two leaders had spoken in the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on 22 April, which left at least 26 people dead. According to Misri, both Modi and Trump were scheduled to meet on the margins of the G7 leaders' summit in Canada, however, the US president cut short his visit a day early, and left Monday evening due to the situation in West Asia. Both Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar were in touch with Vice President J.D. Vance and Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State and National Security Adviser, during the conflict with Pakistan between 7 May and 10 May. 'On the night of 9 May, Vice President Vance called Prime Minister Modi. Vice President Vance had said that Pakistan could launch a major attack on India. Prime Minister Modi had told him in clear words that if this happens, India will give an even bigger response to Pakistan,' said Misri. India's response 'forced' Pakistan to urge India to 'halt military action', Modi told Trump, according to the foreign secretary. As recently as Monday, Trump had claimed that Iran and Israel will make a deal, like the one he had helped India and Pakistan achieve to bring a halt to military action last month. At various fora, including during his visit to West Asia, he has taken credit for the India-Pakistan ceasefire. 'President Trump understood the points made in detail by the Prime Minister and expressed support for India's fight against terrorism. PM Modi also said that India no longer views terrorism as a proxy war, and India's Operation Sindoor is still ongoing,' said Misri. The American president has been focused on the situation in West Asia, calling for the unconditional surrender of Iran, following the nearly six days of military back-and-forth between Tel Aviv and Tehran. Modi and Trump also discussed the situation in West Asia, as well as the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. Both leaders agreed about the necessity for 'direct' dialogue between Moscow and Kyiv to bring a conclusion to the war. The Indian prime minister invited Trump to India for the next Quad leaders' summit, an invitation that the American president accepted, according to Misri. (Edited by Mannat Chugh) Also Read: India-Canada resume diplomatic ties months after Nijjar row, envoys set to return to Ottawa, New Delhi
The Hindu
13-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Trinamool seeks transparent probe into Ahmedabad plane crash
The Trinamool Congress has called for a 'thorough, transparent, and unbiased investigation' into the crash of Air India flight AI171, while condemning the emergence of what it described as conspiracy theories following the tragedy. The aircraft, bound for London from Ahmedabad, crashed shortly after take-off on the afternoon of June 12, resulting in the deaths of nearly all passengers and crew members. As per current reports, only one passenger is known to have survived. The aircraft also claimed several lives on the ground after it crashed into a residential area near the runway. 'We need a thorough and unbiased investigation of the plane accident… it is not right to float theories such as bird hit and create a perception even before a proper investigation is conducted,' Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said on Friday (June 13, 2025). Referring to previous transport-related incidents during the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government's tenure, Mr. Ghosh said the present state of passenger safety and service raises concerns. 'This aircraft travelled from Paris to Delhi, then from Delhi to Ahmedabad, smoothly. Then what happened? Was the aircraft not properly maintained? To discern this, we need a proper investigation by proper specialists and authorities,' he said.
The Hindu
08-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Lawful measures: On Manipur and law and order
Ethnic conflicts, unlike other variants of strife, are more difficult to end because of the nature and the level of grievances of the communities hostile to each other. This persecution complex is fed by those who drive passions to such an extent that taking a position on reconciliation through mutual compromises and peace-building becomes difficult even if a silent majority are in favour of it. Using threats by brandishing arms, chauvinist sections try to drown out voices of reason by drilling in fear and ideas of further vengeance. That seems to be the case with Manipur too, where, after months of dilly-dallying over taking on the patrons of violence, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Union government has finally decided to isolate such elements and subject them to the long arm of the law. That the Imphal valley has again erupted in protest over the arrest of leaders of the extremist identitarian outfit, Arambai Tenggol, highlights the necessity and the difficulty of implementing law enforcement measures in an ethnic conflict. This group had engaged in acts of wanton lawlessness with impunity, targeting those who did not agree with its militant agenda with violence and threats. It had also coerced MLAs into signing pledges for its chauvinist cause. Shockingly, the then BJP-led State government looked the other way – a consequence of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh's inability to rise above his partisanship. The security forces were also unable to act because of public protection for the violent offenders. Soon, such groups went to become a major threat to peace and it was only after implementing President's Rule that the government managed to get the group, among others, to return most of the weapons looted from police constabularies The arrests have coincided with similar actions against other militant volunteers in the hills who were allegedly involved in violence against law enforcement officers. The government of Manipur, which is currently under President's Rule, must make a clear case of the involvement of those arrested in crimes and bring them to justice. It should not give in to the threats made by those stoking communal passions, and must convince the people – across ethnic lines – that these are lawful actions against malefactors. It must simultaneously engage in talks with other stakeholders, also asserting that such steps will coincide with peace-building and rehabilitation measures. It must use devices such as convening all-party meetings and involving civil society representatives from across all ethnic lines to reinforce this message, and must not give in to pressure to reverse the legal steps taken against the offenders.
News18
06-06-2025
- Politics
- News18
News18 Poll: PM Modi's Stand On Security To Rahul Gandhi's ‘Surrender' Remark, Make Your Voice Heard
News18 polls closes on June 7, vote before 3 pm: Is 'Narendar Surrender' remark in good taste? Is the Congress showing respect to Armed forces? Tell us what you think In the aftermath of the April 22 Pahalgam attack, most opposition parties extended their support to the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Central government. However, soon after India's Operation Sindoor – the retaliatory strikes on the terror hubs in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) – the Congress began to target PM Narendra Modi. In his several recent speeches, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi used the slogan 'Narender Surrender' to allege that PM Modi 'surrendered" after a call from US President Donald Trump during the recent India-Pakistan military conflict. Even as Trump on multiple occasions claimed that he had a role in the ceasefire between India and Pakistan, the Centre has maintained that the Operation was paused on the request of Pakistan and no third party was involved in the process. Gandhi's remarks, meanwhile, sparked a massive backlash, with the BJP accusing him of speaking Pakistan's language and insulting the Army. click here. Polling closes at 3 pm on June 7, so make sure your voice is heard. The poll includes five questions: Through address to the nation and several speeches after the Operation, the PM has been underscoring how India's fight against terrorism will continue. PM Modi on Friday said that terrorist camps in Pakistan and PoK were reduced to rubble in strikes launched by India in Operation Sindoor in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack. The PM also said that Pakistan orchestrated the May 22 Pahalgam attack to incite riots in India. In his first visit to J&K since the May 22 Pahalgam attack, the PM said Pakistan is against humanity and even the livelihood of the poor. First Published:
