Centre informs Supreme Court on implementation of CBSE three-language policy

The Central government informed the Supreme Court on Thursday that it is currently working on suggestions and modalities for implementing the CBSE policy that requires Class 9 students to study three languages, including at least two native Indian languages. Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati requested more time from a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana. The court deferred the matter by one week.

The policy aligns the CBSE scheme of studies with the National Education Policy 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023. According to a May 15 circular, the requirement becomes compulsory for Class 9 students starting July 1, 2026. Students who wish to study a foreign language may do so only as a third language after completing two native Indian languages, or as an additional fourth language. To reduce pressure on students, the CBSE stated that no board examination will be conducted for the third language (R3) at the Class 10 level. Until dedicated R3 textbooks are available, Class 9 students will use Class 6 R3 textbooks from the 2026-27 edition.

On May 27, the Supreme Court agreed to examine a plea challenging the policy and issued notices to the Centre, the CBSE, and the NCERT. During a hearing on August 20, the court noted that while there was nothing wrong with introducing the policy, the petitioners were concerned about the manner of its introduction. The bench emphasized that children should not come under pressure and urged the government to find solutions for impediments, specifically mentioning the need to build adequate human resource infrastructure for the available language options.