Maharashtra Mandates State Anthem in Schools, Unveils 100-Day Education Reform Plan

The Maharashtra government has made it mandatory for all schools, no matter their board, to include the state anthem, Jai Jai Maharashtra Maza, in daily assemblies. School Education Minister Dada Bhuse announced that the anthem will be played after the national anthem in schools under government, CBSE, ICSE, and international boards.

This move, introduced by the State School Education Department, aims to help students connect with Maharashtra’s culture and foster state pride. “All students, regardless of their school board, will learn the state anthem and understand Maharashtra’s heritage,” said Bhuse. Written by Raja Nilkanth Badhe, the anthem became the official state song in February 2023. Students will sing two stanzas, which take 101 seconds.

Bhuse also stressed the importance of enforcing a 2021 rule requiring Marathi language classes in all schools. He shared a 100-day plan for improving education, which includes:

• Using geo-tagging and photos to map schools and Anganwadis.
• Developing one school in each cluster as a ‘CM Shri School’ under the PM Shri School Scheme.
• Creating a State Curriculum Framework aligned with NEP 2020 for the 2025-26 academic year.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis asked the department to prioritize registering pre-primary schools and ensuring teachers are qualified. Other plans include ranking schools based on education quality, building a digital registry of good teaching methods, adopting CBSE-like patterns in state schools, and speeding up teacher hiring.

These steps show Maharashtra’s focus on preserving its cultural heritage while modernizing education.