India, April 29 --  Almost a fortnight after the transport department declared its drive to test Marathi language skills of auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers across the state from May 1, according to sources in the transport department, it has come to light that the clause making the knowledge of the language mandatory among all the drivers was inadvertently changed in Section 24 of the Maharashtra Motor Vehicles (MV) Rules, 1989.

Here is the back-story: In 2007, auto drivers objected to wearing the triangle-shaped metal badge or 'billa' - in which their permit details were engraved - attached to the khaki shirts as it would press hard against their chests when they pulled the starter. The transport department at the time amended the ...