Under the detailed protocol established by the School Education Department, any school found in violation of these regulations will be served an initial notice requiring a mandatory explanation within 15 days. Should the institution fail to provide a satisfactory justification, the school management faces an immediate fine of up to one lakh rupees. Furthermore, non-compliant schools will receive a direct order to implement Marathi as a compulsory subject starting from the subsequent academic year. While the government provides a 30-day window for schools to appeal the decision, continued defiance following the appeal process will trigger the ultimate administrative sanction: the cancellation of the school’s official recognition. The School Education Commissioner is tasked with conducting hearings and delivering a final verdict on such matters within a three-party timeline of three months, a move the department claims is essential to ensure the effective teaching of the Marathi language.
This intensified educational mandate arrives amidst a broader linguistic push by the Maharashtra government, which recently extended the mandatory use of Marathi to taxi and rickshaw drivers. This multi-sectoral enforcement has drawn sharp criticism from political circles, notably from Congress leader Hussain Dalwai. Dalwai condemned the timing and intent of these regulations, asserting that such measures serve only to harass the poor and marginalized sections of society. He further alleged that the mandates targeting rickshaw and taxi operators are merely a scheme for extorting money from the labor class. Despite these political objections, the state government remains firm, positioning the latest GR as a vital tool for the preservation and promotion of Marathi within the academic sphere and beyond.
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