00:00Speak Marathi or lose your only means of earning.
00:04From May 1st, thousands of auto and taxi drivers in Maharashtra could face a new kind of test.
00:10Not driving, not traffic rules, but Marathi language skills.
00:15And it's already sparking protests.
00:22Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik says drivers across 59 RTO offices will be tested.
00:28They will need to prove they can read and write Marathi.
00:31Driver unions, especially migrant workers, are calling this harassment and warning of statewide protests.
00:37The government says this rule already exists.
00:50But what is it?
00:51Here's the breakdown.
00:52Under India's Motor Vehicles Act 1988, to drive a commercial vehicle,
00:56you mainly need a Class 8 pass certificate and a valid driving test.
01:01There is no language requirement in the Central Act.
01:04But states can add their own rules.
01:07In Maharashtra, Rule 24 says drivers of public service vehicles must know the local area
01:12and have working knowledge of Marathi.
01:15Sounds simple, right?
01:16But here's the twist.
01:17In 2017, the Bombay High Court ruled that auto rickshaws fall under motor cabs.
01:23And motor cabs are exempt from Rule 24.
01:27Which means the Marathi language requirement will not apply to auto or taxi drivers.
01:33So if this test is enforced, it could face a serious legal challenge.
01:37Others argue that the High Court judgment was in a different context.
01:41And grant of driver badges needs a 15-year domicile certificate and local language proficiency
01:48under the RTO rules.
01:50Sources say the government may even try to amend the rulebook in the State Assembly.
01:55And this is not just Maharashtra.
01:57In Karnataka, similar demands for local language tests are growing,
02:01even though the current rules don't allow it.
02:03So what is this really about?
02:05Better communication with passengers or rising language politics?
02:10And the bigger question,
02:11can states enforce such language rules in a country driven by migrant workers?
02:17This story is far from over.
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