MUMBAI: The Language Advisory Committee in Maharashtra on Sunday publicly opposed the introduction of Hindi as a third language alongside Marathi and English for students in Class I to V in state schools, putting the state government on the defensive.
Maharashtra is the second major state after Tamil Nadu where introducing a compulsory third language in primary school is leading to a blowback. The committee, in a letter to the chief minister, said the move was neither academically justified nor “in tune with students’ psychology”.
On April 16, a directive from the state announced implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) in Maharashtra – and with it, the clause that Hindi would be taught as third language from Grade 1. It resulted in a clamour on social media with criticism led by opposition parties.
On Sunday, CM Devendra Fadnavis said he had not read the panel’s letter but clarified that Hindi was not replacing Marathi. “Marathi is mandatory. But under NEP, it is mandatory to learn three languages, of which two need to be Indian languages. So when the language panel headed by the minister submitted their report, they opted for Hindi as we have the required strength of faculty to teach Hindi.”
But, he clarified, if some schools want to teach another Indian language in place of Hindi and if there are at least 20 students opting for the same, a teacher can be provided; if not, teaching can probably take place online. And this could be especially considered for schools in areas bordering other states, he added.
However, the language committee has warned that the 3-language policy is “unscientific” and could place unnecessary pressure on young students. They suggested instead that a requirement for only two languages, including Marathi, be enforced until Class XII. The committee’s letter said, “Ideally, SCERT (State Council of Educational Research and Training) Pune should have consulted the committee before making such decisions. Our membership includes both professors and recognised experts in linguistics and language sciences.”

NEW DELHI: The brief respite from extreme heat, brought on by two wet spells in northwest and parts of central India, is over. The India Meteorological Department Sunday predicted a gradual rise in day (maximum) temperatures by 2-3 degrees Celsius over northwest India in the next five days and a fresh heatwave spell in many parts of the country.
IMD said heatwave conditions are very likely in isolated pockets of south UP and MP during April 22-24; over Rajasthan and Haryana on April 23-24; and over Vidarbha during April 21-23. Issuing ‘yellow’ (be aware) alerts for these regions, IMD advised people, particularly the elderly and infants to avoid heat exposure. The Northeast, however, may get a fresh spell of heavy rain from Tuesday while east India is likely to see a gradual temperature rise of 4-6 degrees C in the next four days.
Heatwave conditions peaked around April 8, with mercury crossing 46 degrees C in parts of west Rajasthan. Thereafter, a spell of rain from April 9 to 12, and another last week, brought temperatures down by several notches. On Sunday, Chandrapur in Maharashtra was India’s hottest spot at 44.6 degrees C.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday alleged Russian troops carried out “more than 2,000 violations” of a 30-hour Easter truce announced by Russia’s leader and his counterpart Vladimir Putin.
However, Zelenskyy conceded the day passed without air raids. He suggested that as a result, neither side should carry out strikes with long-range drones for at least one month.
Also Read: Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of breaching Easter truce
He wrote on social media platform X, “As of this hour, since the beginning of the day, the Russian army has violated Putin’s ceasefire more than two thousand times. There have already been 67 Russian assaults against our positions across various directions, with the highest number in the Pokrovsk direction. There were a total of 1,355 cases of Russian shelling, 713 of which involved heavy weaponry. The Russians also used FPVs 673 times.”

Across all main frontline directions, Moscow, the Ukrainian leader said, has failed to uphold a ceasefire declared by it. He also criticized it for not responding to his proposal of a ceasefire which would extend beyond Easter Sunday, lasting for 30 days.
The Ukrainian leader then said, “However, there were no air raid alerts today. Hence, this is a format of ceasefire that has been achieved and that is the easiest to extend. Ukraine proposes to cease any strikes using long-range drones and missiles on civilian infrastructure for a period of at least 30 days, with the possibility of extension.”
Also Read: Zelenskyy’s Easter message after accusing Russia of ceasefire violations
Zelenskyy further stated that should Moscow reject his proposal on drones, this would be a “proof” of its intention to continue to do only those things which “destroy human lives and prolong the war.”

NEW DELHI: US vice president JD Vance is expected to land in the Indian capital at around 9.30 am IST on Monday, according to an official update from the White House press pool.
Vance and his family were seen boarding the Air Force Two aircraft at Rome Ciampino Airport earlier on Sunday. The vice president’s visit to New Delhi marks his first official trip to India since assuming office under US President Donald Trump‘s administration.
His itinerary includes a key meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi scheduled for Tuesday. Discussions are likely to focus on strategic cooperation, trade, and regional security issues.
Vance will be on his first official visit to India from April 21 to 24. He will be accompanied by second lady Usha Vance, their children, and senior members of the US administration.

NEW DELHI: Former Karnataka Director General of Police (DGP) and Inspector General of Police (IGP) Om Prakash was found dead at his home on Sunday afternoon.
Prakash was found dead with injuries at his residence, leading to suspicions of foul play. The former IPS officer‘s body was found in a pool of blood on the ground floor of his three-storey home in Bengaluru’s upscale HSR Layout.
According to Bengaluru Additional Commissioner of Police (East) Vikas Kumar, the investigation continues with no arrests made, while the motive remains undetermined.
Regarding the death, Kumar explained, “It seems that some sharp weapon has been used, which caused so much blood loss that it led to death.”

Who is Om Prakash

Virat Kohli‘s unbeaten 73 off 54 balls led Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a seven-wicket victory over Punjab Kings in IPL 2025 on Sunday, maintaining their perfect away record. However, the match was marked by animated celebrations and a tense post-match exchange between Kohli and PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer.
The victory saw RCB successfully chase down the target of 157 runs with seven deliveries remaining, propelling them into the top four with 10 points from eight matches.
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After the match-winning shot by Jitesh Sharma, Kohli celebrated animatedly towards Iyer, appearing to tease his India teammate. Iyer remained stone-faced during the customary handshake, engaging in what appeared to be a tense conversation with a still-chuckling Kohli.
Kohli’s animated gestures were evident throughout the match. He displayed a fierce send-off after running out Nehal Wadhera and later engaged in Punjabi conversation with PBKS bowler Harpreet Brar, mentioning his familiarity with Brar’s coach.
Devdutt Padikkal played a crucial role in RCB’s victory, scoring a rapid 61 off 35 balls that included five fours and four sixes.
The bowling department saw strong performances from Krunal Pandya and Suyash Sharma, who each claimed two wickets while maintaining economy rates of 6.25 and 6.50 runs per over, respectively.

RCB’s away form has been impressive, remaining undefeated on the road. However, they are yet to secure a victory at their home ground, the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
The victory strengthens RCB’s position in the tournament, though their inconsistent home form remains a concern as they progress through the season.