7,750 Auto Drivers Fail Marathi Test in Maharashtra, 4,871 Pending in Thane

Nearly 25,000 autorickshaw drivers across Maharashtra, including 4,871 in Thane, are yet to receive certification under the state government's Marathi language training programme, an official said on Sunday.

Statewide figures reveal that 7,750 autorickshaw drivers failed the proficiency assessment and will need to reappear for the examination. Another 17,427 drivers were unable to finish their coursework prior to the official August 15 deadline.

The training programme was organised by Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) in collaboration with literary groups after the state government made basic knowledge of Marathi mandatory for auto and taxi drivers. In total, the initiative received 1,65,600 applications across Maharashtra.

Of those applicants, 1,40,423 drivers have successfully completed the course and cleared the Marathi proficiency test. However, a significant backlog of pending trainees remains across several urban centres.

Mumbai registered the highest number of pending trainees at 9,196, followed directly by Thane with 4,871 drivers awaiting completion. Elsewhere in the region, Navi Mumbai has 1,400 pending drivers, Palghar accounts for 350, and other parts of Maharashtra make up the remaining 1,610.

Officials stated that the 7,750 drivers who failed the assessment will undergo additional learning before they are permitted to retake the test. For the 17,427 drivers who could not finish by the August 15 cutoff, training sessions are scheduled to conclude within the next one to two weeks.

Transport authorities added that additional batches will be conducted to ensure all remaining drivers finish the mandatory course and obtain their formal certification.