Marathi rule: Bombay High Court disposes plea by cab drivers as State government grants one-year time to learn language
Additional government pleader Jyoti Chavan told a Bench of acting Chief Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad that the government has decided to extend the time given to auto rickshaw and taxi drivers to learn the language by one year
On August 29, 2026, the Bombay High Court dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by four Uber drivers who challenged the Maharashtra government's requirement for drivers to have a working knowledge of the Marathi language to obtain permits. The court heard the case after the state government informed the court that it would grant drivers a one-year period to learn the language.
Acting Chief Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad were part of the division bench that considered the PIL. The court acknowledged media reports that the state had agreed to provide the drivers with the necessary time to acquire the language skills. The petitioners had reportedly met with the Chief Minister, and sources suggested that the issue had been resolved.
During the initial hearing, an additional government lawyer, Jyoti Chavan, informed the court that she would investigate whether a formal policy decision had been made. When the matter was revisited, Ms. Chavan reported that the Transport Minister had confirmed the one-year timeframe. Subsequently, the court recorded the statement from Ms. Chavan and dismissed the PIL.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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