3 weeks ago
Maharashtra makes Marathi knowledge mandatory for taxi, app drivers
Maharashtra is a big state in India where people speak a language called Marathi.
The state government has decided that drivers who carry passengers must know some Marathi.
This includes taxi drivers, auto-rickshaw drivers, and drivers who work for app companies like Ola, Uber, and Rapido.
Drivers should be able to read simple signs, write a simple sentence, and have a basic conversation in Marathi.
If a driver does not know Marathi, they will get one month to learn it.
If they still do not learn it, their permission to drive passengers can be suspended for up to three months.
If they keep refusing, they can lose that permission completely.
The rule starts on August 15, and drivers who fail the test may lose their permissions from August 16.
Some politicians support the rule because drivers should be able to talk with passengers.
Others say it is not fair to force people to learn a language and want drivers to be given one to three years instead.
Maharashtra amended its rules to make 'working knowledge of Marathi' mandatory for cab and autorickshaw drivers, including those with Ola, Uber and Rapido.
Drivers lacking the skill get a one-month notice, face licence authorisation suspension of up to three months, and possible revocation for continued non-compliance.
Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik said the August 15 deadline will not be extended, and licences of drivers failing the Marathi test will be cancelled from August 16.
The requirement, first announced April 14 for a May 1 start and deferred April 29, now also applies to permit holders and permit renewals under amended Rule 78.
Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar and Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi criticised the mandate as forced and politically motivated, with Azmi calling it a 'great injustice'.
- Who
- Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik and the Maharashtra state government, affecting taxi, auto-rickshaw and app-based (Ola, Uber, Rapido) drivers
- What
- Requiring a 'working knowledge of Marathi language' for cab and autorickshaw drivers, with one-month notices, suspensions and possible licence authorisation revocation for non-compliance
- Where
- Maharashtra, India
- When
- Amended rules notified around August 13; mandatory from August 15; licence cancellation from August 16
- Why
- Amendments to the Maharashtra Motor Vehicles Rules make practical Marathi a requirement for commercial passenger transport authorisation and permit renewals
Supporters of mandatory Marathi
Critics of the forced language rule
Mandatory language requirement
Supporters of mandatory Marathi
Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik says working knowledge of Marathi is necessary for drivers to communicate with passengers and ensure safe, convenient travel, and that the amendments remove ambiguities in the rules.
Critics of the forced language rule
Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar says learning the local language is important but making it binding and imposing it as an obligation is wrong; Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi calls the move a 'great injustice'.
Implementation timeline
Supporters of mandatory Marathi
Sarnaik says drivers have been given sufficient time and the August 15 deadline will not be extended; functional Marathi becomes mandatory from that date.
Critics of the forced language rule
Abu Azmi suggests a gradual approach so drivers can learn Marathi over one to three years, saying he has spoken to the chief minister about it.
Motivation behind the rule
Supporters of mandatory Marathi
Sarnaik frames the requirement as a practical need for communication and safety in public transport services.
Critics of the forced language rule
Azmi alleges the decision is politically motivated, while Wadettiwar says the issue should not be used for political mileage or a controversy.
Key facts
- Transport Minister
- Pratap Sarnaik
- Applicable to
- Taxi, auto-rickshaw, and Ola, Uber, Rapido drivers
- Mandatory from
- August 15
- Licence action
- Cancellation from August 16 for drivers failing the Marathi test
- Penalty process
- One-month notice, suspension up to three months, possible revocation
- Legal basis
- Maharashtra Motor Vehicles (Third Amendment) Rules, 2026; amendments to the 1989 Maharashtra Motor Vehicles Rules
- Skills assessed
- Reading signboards or documents, writing a simple sentence, basic conversation
- Certificate event
- Deputy CM Eknath Shinde to present certificates on August 17
Quotes
Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik
Minister of Transport, Maharashtra
“Marathi is the language of Maharashtra, and drivers providing public transport services here should have basic functional knowledge of the language. We have given them sufficient time to learn Marathi. From August 15, functional Marathi will be mandatory for taxi and auto‑rickshaw drivers in Maharashtra.”
theprint.in
“Wherever you go, it is necessary to learn the local language. You can do your business well if you know Marathi. We haven’t asked you to leave. But learn the language.”
theprint.in
Sources
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