Maharashtra's Education Minister, Deepak Kesarkar, announced that the state government will not implement all the suggestions put forth in the recently introduced Maharashtra State Curriculum Framework for School Education. This decision follows a controversy sparked by the inclusion of excerpts from the Manusmriti in one of the draft's chapters. Kesarkar clarified that this inclusion did not undergo approval from either the government or the steering committee before its public release.
During a press conference held in Mumbai on Thursday, Kesarkar conveyed regret over the omission of Marathi as a mandatory language. He attributed this oversight to the draft's premature release without adhering to due process. Additionally, Kesarkar noted that English's removal as a compulsory language for Class 11 and 12 was part of the government's initiative to facilitate higher education in regional languages, including technical subjects.
Following the minister's clarification, the SCERT issued a press release late Monday, affirming that both Marathi and English would be mandatory from Class 1 to 10. Additionally, the statement clarified that Hindi, Sanskrit, and other Indian and foreign languages would be available as options from Class 6 onwards. Moreover, students in Classes 11 and 12 will be required to study two languages—one Indian and one foreign.
According to a report of Indian Express, Kesarkar addressed the issue, stating, “It was an error on the part of the steering committee that placed the draft in public domain without state government approval. The people involved have expressed regret for this. Let me make it clear, the government does not want to propagate any text and will not include any of this in textbooks.”
Following the revelation, numerous education experts voiced concerns regarding the inclusion of a reference to the Manusmriti. A prominent educationist remarked, "There are countless Sanskrit verses conveying comparable ideas, yet the draft chose one from Manusmriti. This choice seems either politically inexperienced or deliberately provocative, risking offense to certain societal segments."