Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has announced a detailed plan to implement the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, making Hindi compulsory as a third language for students in Classes 1 to 5 in Marathi and English-medium schools across the state, replacing the current two-language system.

The three-language formula under NEP 2020 will be rolled out in phases, beginning with Class 1 in the 2025–26 academic year, and will be expanded to cover all grades by 2028–29.

To support this transition, the state government is reportedly planning to train 80 percent of teachers in novel pedagogical methods and digital tools by 2025.

As per the new policy, Maharashtra will transition to the 5+3+3+4 education structure, replacing the traditional 10+2+3 format. The updated model segments the learning journey into four stages: foundational, preparatory, middle, and secondary. Curriculum development under this framework will be spearheaded by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) and Balbharati.

“This new policy restructures the previous 10+2+3 system into a 5+3+3+4 format, covering education from foundational to higher levels. The policy is being gradually implemented in the state. It is built on five pillars: Access, Equity, Quality, Affordability, and Accountability, and aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be achieved by 2030,” Deputy Secretary of the state education department Tushar Mahajan said in a notice.

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Srinagar (PTI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday criticised his Bihar counterpart over the niqab incident and said that Nitish Kumar might be slowly revealing his true nature.

"Nitish Kumar, who was once considered a secular leader, may be slowly showing his true colours," Abdullah told reporters here on the sidelines of a function.

Abdullah said Kumar removing the face veil of a Muslim woman doctor was wrong and cannot be justified by any means.

"We have seen this kind of incident here several years ago. Have you forgotten how Mehbooba Mufti removed the burqa of a legitimate voter inside a polling station? That act was wrong, and this act (of Kumar) is also wrong.

"If the (Bihar) chief minister did not want to hand over the order to her (Muslim woman), they could have kept her aside. However, to humiliate her like this is totally wrong," the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said.

Kumar stirred a huge controversy after he removed the face veil of a Muslim woman at a function earlier this week.