Overview
- Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik confirmed Thursday that RTOs will start checking basic spoken Marathi from May 1, following a pilot in Mira-Bhayandar where 2,385 drivers were tested and more than 200 failed.
- The test will be oral with no written exam, RTO staff asking simple questions in Marathi and issuing certificates as proof of proficiency that drivers can show during licence, badge or permit processes.
- The government enlisted the Konkan Marathi Sahitya Parishad and the Mumbai Marathi Sahitya Sangh to run free lessons, with a simple two-page booklet and a practical curriculum focused on daily phrases.
- Officials signalled the rule will also cover app-based drivers under a forthcoming aggregator policy, while the initial rollout centers on checks at 59 regional and sub-regional transport offices.
- Driver unions warned of statewide protests from May 4 over fears of licence cancellations and corruption in certification, as the MNS runs street classes and aggressive campaigns and Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam urges a softer approach, with a government–union meeting set for April 28.