India, May 12 -- In response to the Maharashtra transport department's move to make knowledge of Marathi compulsory for the approximately 500,000 auto rickshaw and taxi drivers in the city, auto unions have begun enrolling them for free Marathi language classes. Union leaders said that a sizeable number of migrant drivers had shown interest in learning the language.

The Seva Sarathi Autorickshaw Taxi and Transport Union, which has written a letter to the state transport department about this initiative, said that 150 of its drivers had enrolled. "We will begin the training programme through online classes from June," said union head D Gosavi. The unions collectively aim to train at least 500 drivers by the end of June. If the pilot batch...