The Maharashtra government has made it mandatory for all licensed rickshaw and taxi drivers in the state to have basic knowledge of Marathi from May 1, PTI quoted transport minister Pratap Sarnaik as saying on Tuesday. The government will conduct a statewide inspection drive to enforce the rule, the minister added.
In a statement issued by his office, Sarnaik warned that the licences of drivers who are unable to clear the Marathi proficiency test will be cancelled.
Unidentified officials told The Hindu that the test will assess whether a driver can read a signboard or document in Marathi, write a basic sentence and hold a simple conversation in the language.
In his statement, the minister also said that existing rules requiring knowledge of the local language for issuing driving licences were already in place, but were widely being ignored.
Sarnaik claimed that the transport department had received several complaints – especially from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar and Nagpur – about drivers being unable or unwilling to communicate with passengers in Marathi, The Economic Times reported.
“It is everyone’s duty to learn the language of the region where they conduct business,” the newspaper quoted the Shiv Sena leader as saying. “While it is important to be proud of one’s mother tongue, it is equally vital to respect the state’s language while working there.”
The enforcement of the mandate from May 1, which coincides with Maharashtra Day, will not be limited to drivers alone. Sarnaik said that action will also be taken against transport officials found guilty of issuing licences in violation of the mandate.
In 2025, several attacks were reported in Maharashtra on persons for not speaking or allegedly insulting Marathi.
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