30 June,2026 08:55 AM IST | Mumbai | Sanjeev Shivadekar
Minister Dada Bhuse said the expanded chapter will now be taught in schools across the country. Representation pic/istock
The Maharashtra government on Monday announced that a chapter on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the CBSE curriculum has been expanded from one-and-a-half columns to 22 pages following its intervention. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had raised the issue with Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. School Education Minister Dada Bhuse said the expanded chapter will now be taught in schools across the country.
In another education-related announcement, School Education Minister Dada Bhuse told the state legislative assembly that teaching Marathi and conducting examinations in the language is mandatory for all schools and education boards. "Punitive action will be taken against those flouting the norms. The action includes a penalty of R1 lakh and even deregistering the school," Bhuse added.
During Question Hour, BJP MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar sought details of action taken against schools and boards violating the Marathi mandate. Shiv Sena (UBT) MLAs Sunil Prabhu and Varun Sardesai, along with Congress MLA Nitin Raut, demanded stricter enforcement. Sardesai questioned how many inspections had been carried out, how many schools were found violating the rules, and what action or notices had been issued against them. Raut, meanwhile, called for increasing the existing penalty of Rs 1 lakh to ensure better compliance.
Replying to the discussion, Bhuse said education department officials would inspect schools to ensure compliance. He also urged MLAs and other public representatives to visit schools in their constituencies and verify whether the rules are being followed. "Public representatives' participation will help ensure the effective implementation of Marathi language norms," the minister said.
Bhuse also said all schools and education boards would be required to play the National Anthem, followed by the Maharashtra state anthem, under the new rules.
