In today’s blog, I am writing about a few general news items that caught my attention and thought I would share with you.
1 Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari yesterday announced about FASTag annual pass. This pass will be only for private vehicles, and is set to be implemented from 15th August. This scheme will reduce the financial burden on highway users by bringing down the annual cost drastically to just Ts 3,000. The highlights of this annual pass are as follows:
- This annual pass will be priced at Rs 3,000. It offers 200 toll plaza crossings at national Highways within one year from the date of activation. This will enable people to travel on a very large scale. With just Rs 3,000, commuters can make 200 toll plaza crossings in a year. The cost per trip under this scheme averages out to be just Rs 15.
- The pass applies to non-commercial private vehicles, including cars, jeeps, and vans. It can not be used for commercial or freight-carrying vehicles.
- The annual pass can be activated on an existing FASTag, provided it is properly affixed, linked to valid vehicle registration number, and not blacklisted. A dedicated link for activation and renewal will soon be made available on the Rajmarg Yatra App as well as on the official websites NHAI and MoRTH.
- The annual pass is valid for either 200 trips or one year. Once the limit is exhausted, users can re-purchase a new annual pass even if a year has not passed. There is no need to purchase new FASTag to avail annual pass. It can be linked with the existing tag, subject to eligibility.
- Each single toll crossing counts as one trip and around trip equals two trips. In closed tolling highways, like Delhi-Mumbai expressway, one entry-exit pair counts as one trip, while on open toll roads, each toll plaza counts as a separate trop.
As per information available, over 10.1 crore FASTags have been issued till 1st December 2024.
In my opinion this is a welcome initiative by the Roads and Transport Ministry.
2 This news is about Maharashtra, and is regarding Hindi as third language to be taught in schools across the State for Classes 1 to 5.
The Government of Maharashtra issued a GR in April 2025, saying that, Hindi was to be mandatory as a third language in Classes from 1 to 5 of Marathi and English Medium schools of Maharashtra State Board. Following a widespread backlash, it was then declared by the Education Minister that Hindi will no longer be mandatory and alternatives will be provided for those interested to learn other Indian language.
Recently Government of Maharashtra issued revised GR on this matter, which says that based on the recommendations of State Curriculum Framework (SCF) 2024, Hindi will generally be the third language for classes 1 to 5. It, however adds caveat for students who can opt of this rule.
“However, if students wish to study any other Indian language instead of Hindi as their third language, they will be permitted to do so. However, in order to offer an alternative language in place of Hindi, a minimum of 20 students from the same class in the same school must express interest in learning that particular language, in that case a teacher will be provided to teach that language. Otherwise, the language will be taught through online methods.”
Even revised order, has sparked a fresh row over Hindi in Maharashtra schools, Educationist and political parties have claimed that by limiting choices through restrictive conditions, State is subtly imposing Hindi when there is no such demand from stakeholders.
As per the Educationists and experts, that there are over 80% schools in Maharashtra which are not going to meet conditions of 20 students. There is huge number of Government-run schools having total enrolment of students which is less than 20 in a class. Further with no curriculum, no textbooks and no teachers, how the Government plans to allow alternatives to Hindi as third language. There is no clarity as government is asking schools to seek online platforms to teach languages alternative to Hindi, without providing curriculum. Furthermore, the Government does not justify how language can be taught online to Class 1 student.
As per the news, there is immense opposition by academicians to bring three languages in curriculum as early as in Class 1. As per them third language should be taught Freon Class 5, and till then there should be two languages. Secondly, what if in big schools there are two groups 20 students each demanding two different languages to be taught as third language, then what?
In my opinion
- A student of Class 1 is too young to learn three languages. If a student in Maharashtra is learning English and Marathi as two languages in Class 1, then third language should start not before the student reaches Class 4.
- These politicians from opposition parties have the habit of opposing anything that is proposed by BJP government at the Centre of State.
- Here, indirectly they are agreeing for any other language as third language other than Hindi to be taught from Class 1, the language can French, German or any other foreign language, or in Maharashtra other neighboring State’s languages such as Gujarati, Kannada etc, but they want to oppose Hindi.
- The policy on alternative language to be taught is not clear, whether teachers are available for teaching languages other than English and Marathi, whether online or in class-room.
- One more thing, these politician indirectly agree that English language to be the common language of communication in India across all the States, but they do not want Hindi as a common language of communication across India.
Till this ambiguity is solved, this issue of third language issue will not be resolved.
Waiting for your feedback on this blog.
Anil Malik
Mumbai, India
19th June 2025