Now Reading: Bombay High Court to hear plea against Marathi rule for drivers
-
01
Bombay High Court to hear plea against Marathi rule for drivers
Four cab drivers and four civil rights groups have moved the Bombay High Court against the Maharashtra government's rule mandating working knowledge of Marathi for auto-rickshaw, taxi and app-based cab drivers. The…
Four cab drivers and four civil rights groups have moved the Bombay High Court against the Maharashtra government's rule mandating working knowledge of Marathi for auto-rickshaw, taxi and app-based cab drivers. The petitions challenge the August 12 notification that amends the Maharashtra Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, requiring drivers to communicate in Marathi for licence grants and renewals.
The plea by the cab drivers, to be mentioned before the Chief Justice on August 26, argues the rule violates fundamental rights under Articles 14, 19 and 21 and is ultra vires the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, which does not prescribe any language requirement. The PIL by rights groups similarly argues the rule treats citizens from other states as outsiders and that the Constitution does not permit language as a condition for licences.
The state has launched a month-long drive to assess drivers' Marathi skills. Regional transport offices have issued notices to 331 drivers who failed the test. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said the objective is to ensure drivers can communicate in the local language, not to make them experts. The petitioners seek a stay on the notification, which they say could affect nearly 9.65 lakh drivers.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The two reports frame the same event differently. Hindustan Times leads with the cab drivers' petition and the government's defence, quoting Fadnavis and noting commuter inconvenience from a strike. The Hindu foregrounds the PIL's constitutional arguments, especially the single citizenship violation, and cites a 2017 precedent that quashed a similar circular. Hindustan Times reports the government's intent, The Hindu omits the chief minister's statement. Both note the 9.65 lakh drivers at stake. The divergence reveals a tension: the government wants functional language skills for public convenience, while the petitioners argue this creates a non-statutory barrier to livelihood. The High Court's response on August 26 will signal which view prevails.
Coverage: 2 sources, 1 government-critical, 1 neutral
Sources (2): hindustantimes.com (neutral report), thehindu.com (government critical)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry.
