For years, children in large parts of Rajasthan have grown up speaking Marwari, Mewari, Shekhawati, Harauti, and other forms of Rajasthani at home, only to enter classrooms where the language of instruction abruptly shifts. On Tuesday (May 12), the Supreme Court said that this disconnect is a constitutional issue. Directing Rajasthan to frame a policy that recognises Rajasthani as the local or regional language for educational purposes, the court held that children cannot be denied education in a language they understand. The bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta observed that “ability to understand and be understood in one’s own language is not a matter of convenience, but a matter of existential rights, for comprehension must necessarily precede meaningful participation in the society and day to day life activities.” The order came in an appeal filed against the Rajasthan High Court order which dismissed the PIL petition in November 2024, ruling that they had failed to establish an…