Commuters drive past a newly put up poster of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) President Raj Thackeray. | Photo credit: PTI
Marathi groups and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena have opposed the Maharashtra government’s announcement of Hindi examinations for its employees.
According to the notification, the exam will be held in Hindi for the state government officials and employees, which are not published, on June 28 at four centers in Maharashtra. Language groups have threatened to protest and burn the notice if it is not withdrawn within a fortnight.
The government said the exams are conducted routinely every year and are only mandatory for employees who have not studied Hindi in Class X. Employees will be denied salary increments if they fail to pass the exam, which they must pass within three years of joining the service.
“This is part of the tri-language policy adopted by the state many years ago. These exams are being conducted since 1951, even before the formation of the state. They are held twice a year, once in June and once in December. It is compulsory for those employees who have not studied Hindi up to class X as their third language. It is not compulsory for all employees. Usually 2,500 to 2 pass this exam every year. The percentage is very high,” Arun Gite, director, told The Hindu languages.
Defending the announcement, the BJP said it was important for government officials to know Hindi. NCP leader Amol Mitkari said Hindi is the national language and it is important for officials to know it.
Last month, the Directorate of Language had issued a notification announcing an exam in Hindi for its non-gazetted officers and employees. The exam will be held in Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. The notification asks candidates to submit applications by May 20. The lower year exam is based on the Class X text book ‘Lokbharati’ while the senior year exam is based on the class X text book ‘Kumarbharati’ while the syllabus of the second paper remains unchanged.
the opposition
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and Marathi Bhasha Abhyas Kendra opposed the examination. The MNS, which subscribes to the plank of “sons of the soil”, threatened not to allow the examination. The Marathi Bhasha Abhyas Kendra warned the state government to withdraw the notification within a fortnight or face protests.
“We condemn it. We intend to oppose it until the government withdraws this move. Our logic is that the Directorate of Language was created by Yashwantrao Chavan for the development of Marathi. Rather than doing real and crucial work, the Directorate is trying to impose Hindi on officers. Recent migrants should make every possible effort to learn Marathi. There is no need for any government employee to appeal to a government employee to learn Hindi. they should not follow this norm. By the end of this month, the government should withdraw this senseless notification, which offends the sentiments of the people of Maharashtra, if it does not withdraw it, we will burn it in front of the Collector’s office,” he told The Deepak Pawar.
Published – May 6, 2026 7:31 PM IST
