Maharashtra to set up Marathi language departments in private universities, colleges

The announcement was made at a meeting of vice-chancellors and registrars of government and private universities at Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU).

Marathi departments will be established in all private, deemed and private universities and colleges across Maharashtra, higher and technical education minister Chandrakant Patil said on Saturday, adding that the state will soon issue a government resolution to the effect.

Maharashtra's higher and technical education minister Chandrakant Patil said many students from other states come to Maharashtra for education and should have an opportunity to learn Marathi and understand its language and literature. (HT Photo)

The announcement was made at a meeting of vice-chancellors and registrars of government and private universities at Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), held to discuss preparations for the 100th Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan, scheduled at the university from January 28 to 31. Marathi language minister Uday Samant attended the meeting, while Patil joined via video conference.

Education minister explains the move

Patil said many students from other states come to Maharashtra for education and should have an opportunity to learn Marathi and understand its language and literature. He announced annual state-level student conferences to promote Marathi, nurture students’ artistic and literary abilities and help preserve the state’s dialects.

Samant said the Marathi language department would support the Maharashtra Sahitya Mahamandal and SPPU in organising the 100th literary conference.

Marathi language department secretary Kiran Kulkarni said concerted efforts were needed to establish Marathi as a language of knowledge and employment.

SPPU vice-chancellor Suresh Gosavi briefed the meeting on infrastructure and development works at the university. Higher education director Shailendra Devalankar said the department was preparing plans to connect nearly two lakh students enrolled in traditional degree programmes with the conference and urged institutions to participate actively.

Focus on dialects

Samant called for dictionaries documenting Maharashtra’s dialects, saying the state has around 260 dialects but many lack formal documentation. Dictionaries covering 100 dialects should be prepared and published during the 100th Marathi Sahitya Sammelan, he said.

“Marathi has received classical language status. However, we now need to make collective efforts to establish Marathi not only as a language of knowledge but also as a language of employment,” Samant said.

Samant said youth participation would be central to the conference, with competitions, informal literary interactions and digital initiatives planned at the college level.

Rajesh Pande, trustee of Samarth Yuva Foundation, said efforts were underway to involve the National Service Scheme and student development boards of universities and colleges.