Gujarat Compulsory Teaching and Learning of Gujarati Language Bill, 2023 Bill, mandating Gujarati language in all primary schools in the state, including those connected to the CBSE, ICSE and IB boards, was unanimously passed by the Gujarat Assembly on Tuesday, February 28.
According to the bill's terms, a school will be required to pay a fine of Rs 50,000 if it is discovered to have violated the rules for the first time. The fine is Rs 1 lakh, and for subsequent infractions, it is Rs 2 lakh. The state government may order the Board or institution to disaffiliate the school, with which such a school is associated if the school continues to go against the act for more than a year. The penalty will not be imposed without allowing the school concerned to put forward its explanation.
The bill, introduced by state Education Minister Kuberbhai Dindor, was passed unanimously by the 182-member House because its provisions were supported by both opposition parties, the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party. According to the Gujarati Language bill, schools that are not currently teaching Gujarati will be required to do so in phases beginning with the upcoming academic year 2023-24.
Education Minister Kuber Dindor said, "Every school must use the textbooks that the Gujarati government has established for the teaching of Gujarati as a second language. In order to implement the requirements of this measure, the state government will designate a deputy director-level official of the Education Department as the competent authority."
Even though Congress backed the legislation, its members criticized the BJP administration, saying that they are doing this only after a PIL was filed in the high court. Congress MLA Amit Chavda said, "The state government had already published a notification in 2018 for the same objective before this bill. I thus implore the state administration to prevent this law from suffering the same fate as that notification. We want you to apply the law strictly. Also, the state government should consider raising the penalty amount."
Additionally, he asked the state government to make Gujarati a compulsory subject at the secondary and higher secondary levels.
More importantly, a PIL was recently filed in the high court for the proper implementation of the state government's 2018 notification, which asked all primary schools to introduce the Gujarati language as a mandatory subject in primary schools from Classes I to VIII. The Gujarati language was asked to be introduced as a mandatory subject in primary schools from Classes I to VIII.
