The Supreme Court will review a petition challenging the Central Board of Secondary Education's (CBSE) three-language policy next week. The policy requires students in Class 9 to study three languages, with at least two being native Indian languages.
Policy Under Review
The petition argues against the mandatory inclusion of three languages. Lawyers representing the petitioners stated the matter is before Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi. This Public Interest Litigation (PIL) comes from students, teachers, and parents.
Language Requirements
The third language will not be part of Class 10 board exams. Its assessment will be based on internal evaluations. This change aligns the Class 9-10 language curriculum with the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) syllabus.
Implementation Timeline
The CBSE initially adopted a phased approach. The three-language formula was intended to be mandatory from Class 6 this academic year. Students currently in Class 6 would be the first to take the third language in their Class 10 exams in 2030-31.
However, a recent circular reversed this. It stated that the scheme of studies for languages in Class 9 and 10 would be aligned with the NCERT syllabus. From July 1, 2026, Class 9 students will study three compulsory languages. Two of these must be native Indian languages.
Foreign Language Option
Students can opt for a foreign language. This is permitted only if the other two languages are native Indian languages. Alternatively, a foreign language can be studied as a fourth subject.
