{
  "id": 4116765,
  "title": "Now, Maharashtra CM says auto and taxi drivers will get 1 year to learn Marathi",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/29/now-maharashtra-cm-says-auto-and-taxi-drivers-will-get-1-year-to",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-29T05:24:57.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Hindu",
    "slug": "the-hindu",
    "url": "https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/maharashtra/now-maharashtra-cm-says-auto-and-taxi-drivers-will-get-1-year-to-learn-marathi/article71397611.ece"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced that autorickshaw and taxi drivers will be given one year to learn functional Marathi. This decision was made after a meeting with a delegation of drivers, who requested additional time to accommodate their varying age groups and the challenges of learning a new language. The government will provide study material and organize Marathi classes to assist the drivers in acquiring the necessary language skills. The move comes in response to a recent checking drive by the Transport Department, which issued notices to drivers who failed a Marathi test. The government had previously announced in April that non-Marathi drivers must attain basic proficiency in the State's official language, with a deadline set for August 15. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde praised the initiative, stating that 1.60 lakh non-Marathi people have learned Marathi due to this effort, with 15,000 to 20,000 auto and taxi drivers certified in Mumbai alone.",
  "summary": "Fadnavis says his govt. has accepted the drivers’ request for more time; announces no action will be taken during this period for not having the required knowledge of the State’s official language",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Hindu",
        "title": "‘Not taken into confidence’: Shiv Sena upset over Maharashtra CM’s ‘unilateral decision’ to relax Marathi rule for autorickshaw, taxi drivers",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/28/not-taken-into-confidence-shiv-sena-upset-over-maharashtra-cms",
        "published": "2026-08-28T20:05:08.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}