Maharashtra CM Fadnavis Gives 1 Year To Cab, Auto Drivers To Learn Marathi

Mumbai: The BJP-led Mahayuti government on Thursday extended the deadline for taxi and autorickshaw drivers to acquire a working knowledge of Marathi, following a meeting between Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and a delegation of taxi and autorickshaw drivers. The Chief Minister announced the extension of a year. The decision assumes political significance ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections scheduled for February 2027.

Mr. Fadnavis’s announcement comes days after the Maharashtra transport department warned that drivers who fail to demonstrate a working knowledge of Marathi could face suspension of their authorisation badges for driving auto-rickshaws and taxis, as part of the department’s drive to make knowledge of Marathi compulsory for auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers.

The move has faced opposition from non-Marathi-speaking drivers and leaders from Uttar Pradesh, including former Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav. Mr. Yadav questioned the Maharashtra government’s decision to make a working knowledge of Marathi mandatory for taxi and auto-rickshaw drivers, stating that such a condition could undermine the constitutional right to work and conduct business anywhere in the country.

Around 5.5 lakh auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers operate in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), while the number stands at around 15 lakh across Maharashtra. Of these, 60 to 70 per cent are non-Marathi-speaking drivers, most of whom are from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

Uttar Pradesh is scheduled to go to the Assembly polls in February 2027. The Marathi language requirement could have potentially affected the BJP’s electoral prospects in Uttar Pradesh, particularly among voters with links to the migrant community. Against this backdrop, the BJP-led Mahayuti government may have decided to give drivers an extension to comply with the Marathi language requirement, a political observer said.

After concluding the meeting with the delegations of taxi and autorickshaw drivers, the Chief Minister told the reporters that the representatives of Mumbai’s auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers association, led by Haji Arafat, had met him. The representatives said they fully supported the decision that auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers in Maharashtra should have working knowledge of Marathi Langauge. However, they pointed out that drivers from different age groups would not be able to learn Marathi within a short period and therefore requested a one-year extension. “They have demanded addition time of one year to learn the Marathi language. I decided to give them an additional year to learn Marathi. No action will be taken against drivers during this period,” Mr. Fadnavis said.

According to the Chief Minister, the representatives of driver associations also said they would take responsibility for starting Marathi language classes at various locations, preparing study materials and helping drivers to learn Marathi language during this extended period of one year. They also said that drivers themselves are coming forward and expressing their willingness to learn Marathi. Therefore, it was necessary to give them adequate time and opportunities. “Keeping this in mind, the state government has decided to provide one year period to them,” he said.

Welcoming the Chief Minister’s decision, Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik said the government had earlier given drivers 105 days to learn Marathi, while the one-year extension would now provide them with sufficient time to learn Marathi.

Mr. Sarnaik said that after the extended period, the drivers would be required to appear for a Marathi language test and pass it. Those who fail to do so could face action. If they want to drive the auto and taxi, they will have to speak in Marathi lanaguge, he said

“The Chief Minister is the supreme authority in the state government,” Mr. Sarnaik said, adding that drivers must respect Maharashtra’s language and culture.