Archive · 22 Aug 2026
Maharashtra Marathi Rule Highlights the State’s Linguistic Diversity
Maharashtra wants auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers to know enough Marathi to communicate at work.
The state has people who speak many different languages.
Many people whose main language is Hindi or Urdu did not say they also knew Marathi.
However, nearly 44 per cent of people whose main language is Marathi said they knew Hindi too.
This shows that language-sharing is not the same across all groups.
The Census asks people about their main language and up to two other languages.
It can show whether people know more than one language.
It cannot show how well they speak those languages.
Maharashtra is enforcing a working-Marathi requirement for auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers.
Census data shows the state has a highly mixed linguistic population.
A majority of primary Hindi and Urdu speakers did not report Marathi as an additional language.
Nearly 44 per cent of primary Marathi speakers reported Hindi as a subsidiary language.
The Census records primary, subsidiary and second languages, but does not measure fluency.
- Who
- The Maharashtra government, auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers, and residents speaking Marathi, Hindi or Urdu.
- What
- Maharashtra is enforcing a requirement that auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers have a working knowledge of Marathi.
- When
- As Maharashtra begins enforcing the language requirement; no specific date is provided.
- Where
- Maharashtra, India.
- Why
- To enable drivers to communicate in Marathi while working in the state.
- Policy
- Auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers must have a working knowledge of Marathi.
- Training
- The Maharashtra State Transport Department conducted Marathi language training for out-of-state auto-rickshaw drivers.
- Hindi speakers
- A majority of primary Hindi speakers did not report Marathi as an additional language.
- Urdu speakers
- A majority of primary Urdu speakers did not report Marathi as an additional language.
- Marathi speakers
- Nearly 44 per cent of primary Marathi speakers reported Hindi as a subsidiary language.
- Census measure
- The Census records a primary language and up to two subsidiary languages.
- Limitation
- The data measures bilingualism or trilingualism, not language fluency.