The Supreme Court is likely to hear next week a petition challenging the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)’s new three-language policy for Class 9 students, which is set to be implemented from July 1.According to reports, the matter was mentioned before a bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant after students, parents and teachers raised concerns over the revised policy.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi reportedly told the court that implementing the rule immediately could create confusion and administrative issues, and sought an urgent hearing.The policy has been introduced under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023.
From the 2026-27 academic session, Class 9 students in CBSE schools will have to study three languages, with at least two being Indian languages.As per a CBSE circular issued on May 15, students choosing a foreign language can study it only as a third language after learning two Indian languages, or as an optional fourth language.CBSE has clarified that there will be no separate Class 10 board exam for the third language.
The subject will be assessed internally by schools, although marks will appear on CBSE certificates. The board also said no student will be prevented from appearing in Class 10 board exams because of the additional language requirement.Schools have been asked to update their language options for Classes 6 to 9 by June 30.
While textbooks for 19 scheduled Indian languages are expected before July 1, schools have been advised to use SCERT and state-level study material for other regional languages until dedicated textbooks are available.