Ambiguity continues in Maharashtra over the status of Hindi and the three-language formula under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Initially, the state government had made Hindi mandatory from Std I to Std V for all schools across Maharashtra. However, following strong opposition, it announced the withdrawal of the directive.

Despite this, Balbharati — the Maharashtra Bureau of Textbook Production and Curriculum Research — is preparing Hindi textbooks titled Khel Khel Mein Sikhe Hindi (Learn Hindi Through Play), raising questions about the actual status of the language in the school curriculum. With just over 15 days left for schools to reopen for the new academic year, these mixed signals from the government are said to be creating confusion and uncertainty among students and parents.