Maharashtra minister Dada Bhuse on Wednesday defended the government's decision for Hindi to be taught as the third language in schools, saying it is widely used in daily communication and will help Class 12 students in higher education, reported news agency PTI.

The school education minister also warned of strict action against schools not teaching Marathi, as per the curriculum.

The Maharashtra government on Tuesday issued an order saying Hindi will "generally" be taught as the third language to students in Marathi and English medium schools in the state from classes 1 to 5.