MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government has given auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers one year to acquire a functional knowledge of Marathi, with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announcing that no punitive action will be taken against drivers during this period for failing to meet the language requirement.
The decision, announced on August 27, came after driver representatives led by Haji Arfat Shaikh met Fadnavis and sought more time, arguing that drivers belong to different age groups and many had left formal education years ago.
The move follows a statewide Transport Department checking drive that began on August 20, when 8,217 commercial passenger vehicle drivers were tested and 1,268 were issued notices for inadequate Marathi proficiency on the first day.
Drivers had initially been given one month to improve their language skills, failing which their badges could be suspended for three months. The enforcement triggered protests and disruption in parts of Mumbai, while four app-based cab drivers separately approached the Bombay High Court challenging the August 12 notification, arguing that it infringes fundamental rights and goes beyond the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.
Fadnavis has now said Marathi classes and study material will be provided during the one-year period. The government maintains that only basic, everyday communication is expected, while driver groups have sought adequate time, accessible training and tests based on the prescribed syllabus.
One-Year Window For Drivers
Fadnavis said driver organisations that met him were not opposed to learning Marathi but had highlighted the practical difficulties of imposing the requirement within a short timeframe. Many drivers are from different age groups and some have been out of formal education for decades, making it difficult to learn a new language quickly. “They requested that they be given one year.
The state government has accepted their demand and is giving them one year. No action will be taken during this period,” Fadnavis said. The government will use the grace period to organise Marathi classes and provide learning material, turning the immediate focus from enforcement to training.
The decision follows an enforcement drive that had begun just days earlier. On August 20, RTO teams conducted roadside assessments in which drivers were asked practical questions about destinations, fares, routes, travel time and other routine passenger interactions.
Of the 8,217 drivers tested on the first day, 3,995 were in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, with 604 of them among the 1,268 drivers who received notices. Under the earlier enforcement framework, drivers were given a month to acquire the required working knowledge, after which their badges could be suspended for up to three months.
Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik had said that continued deliberate refusal to learn Marathi could eventually invite stronger action. The verification process was also ordered to be videographed to improve transparency.
The policy itself was intended to require functional rather than advanced Marathi, with the government arguing that drivers serving the public should be able to communicate with passengers in the state’s primary language. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has similarly stressed that drivers need working knowledge for everyday conversations rather than fluency.
At a recent programme in Mumbai, Shinde distributed certificates to around 20,000 drivers who had completed Marathi-language training and said the initiative should encourage people to embrace Marathi rather than view it as an imposition. He also noted that around 1.6 lakh drivers across Maharashtra had learnt Marathi during the first phase of the campaign.
Protests And Legal Challenge
The enforcement drive nevertheless sparked protests among sections of Mumbai’s auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers. Demonstrations and disruptions were reported in areas including Kandivali, Malad, Santacruz, Dahisar and Andheri, with some drivers avoiding RTO checkpoints.
The protests also affected commuters as the availability of autos and taxis was disrupted at some locations. Drivers and union representatives said their objection was less about learning Marathi and more about the short deadline, access to training and how the tests were conducted.
Mumbai Rickshawmen’s Union leader Thampy Kurien sought more time and argued that drivers should not face punitive action without adequate training infrastructure. Some drivers who attended government or literary-organisation classes also alleged that questions asked during roadside tests did not always correspond with what they had been taught.
On the first day, drivers were tested through a 16-question assessment covering practical situations. Several drivers told reporters they had learnt basic conversational phrases but struggled when faced with questions they believed fell outside the training material.
For workers dependent on daily earnings, taking time away from the road to attend classes is another challenge. The issue is particularly sensitive for older drivers and those with limited formal education, whose representatives say they need a realistic pathway to compliance rather than immediate penalties.
The matter has also moved into the courts. Four app-based cab drivers have challenged the Maharashtra government’s August 12 notification before the Bombay High Court. The petition argues that the requirement violates fundamental rights under Articles 14, 19 and 21 of the Constitution and is beyond the powers granted to the state under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, which does not prescribe a language requirement for obtaining or holding a driving licence.
The petitioners have also warned that implementation could affect the livelihoods of nearly 9.65 lakh taxi and rickshaw permit holders across Maharashtra. The legal challenge remains pending, meaning the broader question of how far the state can go in making language proficiency a condition of commercial driving has yet to be settled.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Learning the language of the place where one works can strengthen communication, build trust and make everyday interactions easier. Marathi, as Maharashtra’s official language and an important part of the state’s cultural identity, deserves respect and space in public life. At the same time, language learning should not become a source of humiliation, intimidation or sudden loss of livelihood, particularly for workers who are willing to learn but need time and accessible support.
The government’s decision to replace immediate punitive action with a one-year learning window is therefore a welcome opportunity for dialogue. The next step should be to ensure that Marathi classes are genuinely accessible, that study material is simple and practical, and that assessments fairly reflect what drivers have been taught.
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