Business

Maha taxi drivers to get 1 year to learn Marathi

By Sohail Khan 27 August 2026, 7:17 pm

Benchmarks
Nifty24,090.85-116.91

Precious Metal
Gold (MCX) (Rs/10g.)158,207.00-1456.0

Enter search text:

Business News›News›Politics›Auto-rickshaw, taxi drivers in Maharashtra to get 1 year to learn Marathi: CM Fadnavis

Read Today's Paper

Auto-rickshaw, taxi drivers in Maharashtra to get 1 year to learn Marathi: CM Fadnavis
Synopsis

Mumbai's Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced a one-year learning period for drivers. This extension allows drivers time to acquire functional Marathi language skills. No action will be taken against drivers during this granted one-year period. Marathi classes and study materials will be provided to aid their learning efforts. This decision follows a recent transport department drive and driver organization meetings.

Amid the ongoing language row, Maharashtra government has decided to give auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers one year to learn functional Marathi.

No action will be taken against drivers during this period for not having the required knowledge of the state's official language, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced, days after the Transport Department headed by Shiv Sena minister Pratap Sarnaik carried out a checking drive and issued notices to the drivers who failed a Marathi test.

Also read: No need to make drivers Marathi experts, basic communication enough: Devendra Fadnavis

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Fadnavis said that representatives of auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers' organisations, led by Haji Arfat Shaikh, met him and fully supported the rule that drivers should learn basic Marathi and were willing to learn it.

However, the representatives, the CM said, pointed out that drivers belong to different age groups and many of them had left formal education years ago, making it difficult to learn Marathi in a short period.

"They requested that they be given one year's time. The state government has accepted their demand and is giving them one year. No action will be taken during this period," Fadnavis said, as quoted by PTI. During the one-year period allocated by the government, Marathi classes will be organised and study material will be provided to help auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers learn functional Marathi.

"They have themselves come forward and are willing to learn. Therefore, it was necessary to give them time," he added.

Earlier in April, the state government had announced that non-Marathi drivers must learn basic Marathi, and set a deadline of August 15 while organising Marathi classes for them.

On August 20, the transport department issued notices to 1,268 commercial passenger vehicle drivers, mainly including auto rickshaw and taxi drivers, for not having adequate knowledge of Marathi on the first day of state-wide checking, Sarnaik had informed.

Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source
Add Now!

(You can now subscribe to our WhatsApp channel)

(You can now subscribe to our WhatsApp channel)

Read More News on
Devendra FadnavisMarathi language classesMarathi test for driversMaharashtra governmentmarathiMaharashtra taxi driverslanguage rules Maharashtra

Enter search text:

Continue reading with one of these options:
Limited Access
Free
Login to get access to some exclusive stories

& personalised newsletters
Login Now

Unlimited Access
Starting @ Rs120/month
Get access to exclusive stories, expert opinions &

in-depth stock reports
Subscribe Now

Unlock Access to All Exclusives with ETPrime FREE TRIAL

15 Days Free: Unlock All ETPrime Exclusives, Market Tools & ePapers

Trial offer expiring in00 : 05 : 00

I'd rather pay ₹2599 now

Uh-oh! This is an exclusive story available for selected readers only.

Worry not. You’re just a step away.

Prime Account Detected!

It seems like you're already an ETPrime member with

Log out of your current logged-in account and log in again using your ET Prime credentials to enjoy all member benefits.

Unlock ETPrime's Exclusive Stories Today!

Subscribe to gain powerful insights on business, stock market and industry trends.

Big Price Drop! Flat 40% Off

Student Only Offer

Already a Member? Sign In now

Already a Member? Sign In now
Already a Member? Sign In now

Offer Exclusively For You

Save up to Rs. 700/-

ON ET PRIME MEMBERSHIP

Avail Offer

Offer Exclusively For You

Get 1 Year Free

With 1 and 2-Year ET prime membership

Avail Offer

Offer Exclusively For You

Get 1 Year Free

With 1 and 2-Year ET prime membership

Avail Offer

Offer Exclusively For You

Get Flat 40% Off

Then ₹ 1749 for 1 year

Avail Offer

Offer Exclusively For You

ET Prime at ₹ 49 for 1 month

Then ₹ 1749 for 1 year

Avail Offer

Special Offer

Get flat 40% off on ETPrime

Avail Offer
Avail Offer

Claim NowAlready a Member? Sign In now

Need Assistance?

Connect with an ETPrime expert for personalized support and guidance

+91 9484700004

' + h3 + '

' + h4 + '

' + listing + '

What’s Included with

ETPrime Membership

1Exclusive Insights That Matter

Uncover the truth with our investigative stories

Make strategic moves using the real-world case studies

Read industry-specific stories to identify emerging trends

Spot opportunities with in-depth insights that matter

Trump temper on H-1B visas is forcing Indians to do these things to stay put in US

What Adani’s US indictment means for India Inc’s overseas fundraising
Why veterans like Reliance, L&T are on acquisition spree? Aswath Damodaran has an answer.

Will China’s dollar bond sale in Saudi Arabia trump the US in financial world?
Huawei launches its own OS to compete with Google and Apple. But can it win beyond China?

The problem with lab grown diamonds
Why a falling rupee is a better option for the economy

A list of top 20 momentum stocks that have delivered massive returns in one year