Maharashtra Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan officially launched the second phase of several significant educational initiatives, including the ‘Mukhyamantri Majhi Shala Sundar Shala,’ ‘Maha Vachan Utsav,’ and ‘Majhi Parasbaug,’ during a ceremony held at Raj Bhavan.
As part of the event, the Governor unveiled the logo and QR code for a new programme aimed at registering and providing employment and skill development opportunities to the youth of Maharashtra in Baden-Württemberg, a state in southwest Germany.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Department of School Education and Goethe Institutes in Mumbai and Pune to facilitate the teaching of the German language to young people in Maharashtra. Another MoU was also signed, focused on promoting Marathi language education in the United States.
The state government has already allocated ₹767 crore to train an initial group of 10,000 youth for employment opportunities in Baden-Württemberg, which shares borders with France and Switzerland. The government plans to extend these opportunities to approximately 400,000 youth in the future.
In addition, the government will establish around 200 classrooms across Maharashtra, with an investment of ₹36 crore, to ensure students can complete all four levels of German language learning (A1, A2, B1, and B2). The State Council for Educational Research and Training (SCERT) has been tasked with signing an agreement with the Goethe Institute to conduct German language classes in each district headquarters.
The ‘Maha Vachan Utsav’ is designed to emphasize the importance of reading, aiming to ensure that every child in the state becomes proficient in reading by the third grade. The initiative seeks to create a widespread public reading movement by involving the community in promoting reading habits, providing children with access to quality Marathi literature appropriate to their age group, and cultivating a new generation of Marathi readers.
The ‘Mukhyamantri Majhi Shala’ initiative focuses on creating a conducive learning environment in schools, fostering a competitive spirit, and promoting the overall development of students.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis participated in the event via a digital platform. The ceremony was also attended by Minister of School Education and Marathi Language Deepak Kesarkar, Minister of Skill and Employment Mangal Prabhat Lodha, Minister of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Girish Mahajan, Germany’s Consul General in Mumbai Achim Fabig, as well as other officials, principals, teachers, students, and invited guests.
