Gujarat Leads India With 97.6% Schools Offering Three Languages

While only 61.6% of Indian schools offer three languages, Gujarat has achieved 97.6% coverage across 52,357 schools, the highest in the country. This success stems from deliberate policy evolution since 2001.

Under Narendra Modi's tenure as Chief Minister, Gujarat strengthened its multilingual framework without displacing Gujarati. In 2004, English exams became mandatory in Class V. The *Society for Creation of Opportunities through Proficiency in English* (SCOPE) was established in 2007. By 2012, compulsory English instruction advanced to Class III.

The critical shift came in 2018 when the Rupani government mandated Gujarati teaching across all school boards, including CBSE, ICSE, and international schools. The 2023 *Gujarat Compulsory Teaching and Learning of Gujarati Language Act* provided statutory backing, ensuring children in English-medium and national-board schools learn Gujarati alongside other languages.

Gujarat's model demonstrates that regional identity and global aspirations need not conflict. The approach aligns with the *National Education Policy 2020's* flexible multilingual philosophy while proving that mother tongue protection can coexist with English proficiency and national integration.