Ajit Pawar, the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, has expressed his disapproval regarding the inclusion of Hindi as a subject from the first to the third grade in state schools. He advocates for Hindi to be taught starting from the fifth grade instead.

Speaking to reporters in Mumbai on Tuesday, Pawar emphasized the importance of students learning Marathi from the first grade to ensure they can read and write it proficiently.

Last week, the state government issued a revised directive stating that students in Marathi and English medium schools would study Hindi as a third language from the first to the fifth grade, which has sparked controversy.

The government clarified that while Hindi would not be mandatory, schools must secure the consent of at least 20 students in each class for any language other than Hindi to be studied.

Pawar remarked, 'The Chief Minister convened a meeting on this issue on Monday. I believe that Hindi should not be introduced until the fifth grade. Students should learn Marathi from the first grade and become fluent in reading and writing it.'

He added that while there is no opposition to teaching any specific language, placing an additional burden on young students at an early stage is inappropriate. Meanwhile, actor Sayaji Shinde has also voiced his opposition to teaching Hindi from the first grade.

Shinde stated, 'Students should be allowed to learn Marathi, which is a very rich language. They should become proficient in Marathi at a young age without the burden of another language. If Hindi must be made compulsory, it should only be taught after the fifth grade.'