Marathi language mandate: Mumbai drivers move Bombay High Court
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Marathi language mandate: Mumbai drivers move Bombay High Court Photograph: (ANI)
Four app-based cab drivers have challenged Maharashtra’s Marathi language mandate for auto, taxi and app-based cab drivers in the Bombay High Court, seeking a stay on the August 12 notification. They argue the rule violates constitutional rights and exceeds the state’s legal powers.
Four app-based cab drivers have moved the Bombay High Court challenging Maharashtra’s decision to make a working knowledge of Marathi mandatory for auto-rickshaw, taxi and app-based cab drivers. The petition, filed through advocate Vivek Shukla, challenges the Maharashtra government notification issued on August 12, 2026. The matter is expected to be taken up for urgent directions before the Bombay High Court.
The petitioners have sought an immediate stay on the notification, arguing that its implementation could put the livelihoods of lakhs of drivers at risk. The plea estimates that nearly 9.65 lakh taxi and rickshaw permit or badge holders across Maharashtra could potentially be affected. The drivers have challenged the rule on constitutional as well as legal grounds. They argue that the requirement violates fundamental rights under Articles 14, 19 and 21 of the Constitution — including equality, the freedom to practise a profession and the right to life.
Also Read: Mumbai language mandate: How city of migrants learned Marathi through genuine zest, not tests
The petition also questions the Maharashtra government's authority to impose a language qualification under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. According to the plea, the central legislation does not prescribe knowledge of any particular language as a condition for obtaining a driving licence, badge or permit, nor does it provide for suspension or cancellation of these documents solely on the basis of language proficiency.
The legal challenge comes amid intensified enforcement by Maharashtra's transport authorities. RTO teams have been conducting checks of auto and taxi drivers to assess their practical knowledge of Marathi. Notices have already been issued to drivers who failed to demonstrate adequate proficiency, with authorities warning of further action in cases of non-compliance.
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The government's position is that drivers are not required to be experts in Marathi, but should possess enough working knowledge to communicate with passengers and authorities. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has also said the requirement is not aimed at making non-Marathi-speaking drivers fluent in the language.
However, the issue has triggered protests among sections of Mumbai's auto and taxi community, particularly non-Marathi-speaking drivers, who fear that failure to meet the requirement could threaten their source of income. The Bombay High Court's response to the petition could now determine whether the Maharashtra government's language requirement remains in force during the legal challenge and how far the state can go in imposing language-based conditions on commercial drivers.
