Mumbai: The Maharashtra Government on Monday issued a stern warning to schools across the State, declaring that institutions failing to teach Marathi as a compulsory subject or conduct examinations in the language could face stringent penalties, including cancellation of their recognition.

Making the announcement during the Question Hour in the Legislative Assembly, School Education Minister Dada Bhuse said the provisions of the Maharashtra Compulsory Teaching and Learning of Marathi Language in Schools Act, 2020 are now being enforced more rigorously to ensure that Marathi is taught from Classes 1 to 10 in every school, irrespective of its medium of instruction or education board.

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Bhuse clarified that Marathi would no longer remain a compulsory subject only on paper. Every school will have to conduct examinations in Marathi for students from Classes 1 to 10, making the language an integral part of the curriculum.

“Marathi teaching is mandatory in all schools, whether they are affiliated to the State Board, CBSE, ICSE or any other board. Schools are also required to appoint qualified Marathi teachers. Compliance will be monitored through regular inspections,” the Minister told the House.

He said that under the Government Resolution (GR) issued on April 17, 2026, schools violating the provisions will first be served a notice directing them to rectify the shortcomings. If they fail to comply, they will face a penalty of up to Rs 1 lakh. Continued violation could ultimately result in withdrawal of the institution’s recognition.

“The provision to cancel a school’s recognition has been introduced for the first time through the 2026 Government Resolution, making enforcement of the Marathi language policy much stricter,” Bhuse said.

He further assured the House that every complaint regarding non-teaching of Marathi would be thoroughly investigated. If violations are confirmed, strict action would follow under the law.

The issue was raised by BJP MLA Atul Bhatkalkar, who sought clarification on whether Marathi would merely remain a compulsory subject like art or handicrafts, or whether students would also be required to appear for examinations. Bhuse responded unequivocally that Marathi examinations would be conducted in every class from Standard I to X.

Legislators from across party lines also demanded revival of an international-standard Marathi education board, stating that a similar body established by a previous government had later been dissolved. Responding to the demand, Bhuse said the government would examine the proposal positively before taking an appropriate decision.

Opposition members, including Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Varun Sardesai and Congress MLA Nitin Raut, questioned the effectiveness of the government’s implementation strategy. They asked how many schools had violated the law since Marathi was made compulsory in 2020, how many had been fined, and whether any institutions had lost recognition.

Sardesai also demanded that the government disclose the names of schools against which action had been initiated. He further questioned whether institutions that had received government land at concessional rates but failed to teach Marathi would face additional punitive measures.

Another Shiv Sena (UBT) legislator, Sunil Prabhu, suggested that the existing penalty of Rs 1 lakh was inadequate and proposed increasing it to Rs 10 lakh to ensure greater compliance.

Appealing for cooperation from elected representatives, Bhuse urged MLAs to personally visit schools in their constituencies and verify whether Marathi is being taught as mandated. He warned that officials responsible for implementing the law would also face action if they failed to enforce the provisions effectively.

The Minister further stated that schools are expected to accord due respect to the State Song, “Jai Jai Maharashtra Majha”, in the same spirit as the National Anthem, and said the government would continue awareness campaigns to promote its observance.

The Assembly also witnessed discussions on alleged inaccuracies in school textbooks. Several members raised concerns over omissions and factual errors relating to social reformers Savitribai Phule and Mahatma Jyotirao Phule, as well as chapters dealing with different religions.

Replying to these concerns, Bhuse said the Maharashtra Government had requested the Centre to enhance the content on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in CBSE textbooks. He informed the House that Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had accepted the proposal, resulting in the expansion of lessons on Shivaji Maharaj to 22 pages, enabling students across the country to gain a deeper understanding of the Maratha ruler’s life and legacy.

Bhuse also announced that the State Government is in the process of revising school textbooks and would restore lessons on eminent personalities that had been omitted from previous editions, while ensuring greater historical accuracy in future publications.