Marathi is being reintroduced at Mumbai’s St Xavier’s College as an optional language, almost after four decades. This step has been taken into consideration by National Education Policy (NEP) to emphasise the importance of regional language.
According to a report in Times of India, the Marathi department at the degree college was forced to close its doors in 1985 due to a lack of student interest and the retirement of the professor responsible for managing it. Consequently, the BA (Marathi) course was also discontinued in subsequent years.
The college has recently made the decision to reintroduce Marathi as an optional language course at the first-year degree level, focusing on conversational skills. The main motive for bringing back the language is to create interest in Marathi language and literature, to develop writing skills, and reading habits among students, and to enhance the way of thinking in a creative manner.
The initiative has garnered significant interest, with approximately 10 per cent of the students already enrolled in various programs opting for Marathi.
As per the reports, Marathi will be offered as an Ability Enhancement Course (AEC), which is prescribed under the national policy. Students will now have the option to opt for Marathi in conjunction with major, minor, and open elective subjects. The report further suggests that the first round of admissions began on June 19, and students have already started to include Marathi in their curriculum.
Principal Rajendra Shinde, who had joined the college around the same time, recalled the declining interest in the course during that period. Despite an attempt to appoint a part-time teacher for Marathi, the number of students continued to decline, eventually leading to the discontinuation of the course in 1985.
“There were very few takers for the course at that time. The college tried appointing a part-time teacher for Marathi later, but the numbers dwindled further. In a year or so, the course was discontinued. We do not have Marathi at degree college level since 1985-86,” Shinde told the leading news daily.
“We have been trying to start Marathi for quite some time, but somehow it did not materialise. Due to NEP, we are happy we could start it and 120 is a good response in the first year,” he added.
Despite the prolonged absence of Marathi as a degree-level subject, the college houses an active association called Marathi Vangmay Mandal. This association, established in 1923, will be celebrating its centenary this year.
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