The Maharashtra government has mandated that auto-rickshaw, taxi, and cab drivers must learn functional Marathi within one year. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced this requirement on Thursday. This decision follows requests from drivers’ organizations for more time, citing the diverse ages and educational backgrounds of those working in the sector.
“Today, people from the auto drivers’ and rickshaw drivers’ organisations met with me. They first expressed their support for the idea that functional Marathi should be learned by those working in Mumbai. The requirement was announced by Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik and formalised through the Maharashtra Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Rules, 2026, which introduced language requirements into the existing 1989 framework.
Fadnavis said representatives of auto and rickshaw drivers’ organisations met him and expressed their support for the requirement that people working in Mumbai should learn functional Marathi. They all want to learn it, but along with that, they also said that people of various ages are in this profession, and many have dropped out of studies a long time ago,” Fadnavis said.
Earlier reporting noted: MUMBAI: Maharashtra government has decided to give auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers one year to learn functional Marathi, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis announced on Thursday. They have prepared a very comprehensive plan to teach functional Marathi. They have demanded that they be given one year for this task. The state government has accepted their point and is giving them one year. No action will be taken against them for one year,” he added. The petition has been filed by four app-based cab drivers.
“Because of this, learning Marathi in such a short time is difficult for them. They have argued that the requirement violates their fundamental rights under Articles 14, 19 and 21 of the Constitution and is beyond the scope of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, which does not prescribe any language requirement for driving licences. Earlier reporting noted: Learn Marathi in 1 year: Maharashtra govt extends deadline for auto, taxi drivers CM fadnavis said that no action will be taken against drivers during one year for not having the required knowledge of the state’s official language.
The Chief Minister said the government had taken into account the difficulties faced by drivers from different age groups and educational backgrounds while retaining the requirement for those working in Mumbai to have a basic working knowledge of Marathi. Earlier reporting noted: He said that no action will be taken against drivers during this period for not having the required knowledge of the state’s official language.
