The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to pass any interim order on a petition challenging the implementation of the Central Board of Secondary Education's three-language policy for Class 9 students starting from the 2026-27 academic session.
Bench Declines Interim Protection
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice V Mohana stated that it would not grant interim protection and directed that the plea be tagged with similar petitions already pending before the court. “We cannot pass a single-line order today. This matter was argued at length. There is no question of interim protection,” the bench remarked.
Petition by NGO Friends of People for Active Democracy
The petition was filed by the NGO Friends of People for Active Democracy. During the hearing, the organization's counsel clarified that it was not challenging the three-language policy itself but only its implementation. In a lighter moment, Chief Justice Kant questioned the NGO's name, asking whether it was intended to create fear. The counsel responded, “No, my lord. That's the name of the trust. It's an old trust set up in 2013.”
The lawyer also informed the court that CBSE was expected to issue detailed implementation guidelines by June 15. However, the bench decided to hear the matter along with other related petitions and fixed July 14 as the next date of hearing.
Background of the Policy
The case relates to a CBSE circular issued on May 15 as part of aligning its curriculum with the National Education Policy 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023. Under the policy, Class 9 students will be required to study three languages from July 1, 2026, with at least two being native Indian languages. Students wishing to study a foreign language can do so only as the third language after two Indian languages or as an additional fourth language.
Assessment and Implementation Details
CBSE has stated that no board examination will be conducted for the third language (R3) in Class 10. All assessments will be school-based and internal, with student performance reflected in their CBSE certificates. No student will be prevented from appearing in Class 10 board examinations due to R3.
Schools have been directed to update their third-language offerings on the OASIS portal by June 30. Class 6 R3 textbooks in 19 scheduled languages will be made available before July 1, while schools may use SCERT and state-level resources for other native Indian languages.
Measures to Address Teacher Shortages
To address teacher shortages, CBSE has allowed schools to temporarily use teachers from other subjects with functional proficiency in the language. Other measures include inter-school resource sharing, virtual teaching support, engaging retired language teachers, and appointing suitably qualified postgraduates.
Relaxations will be available for children with special needs under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. Foreign students returning to India may also receive exemptions on a case-by-case basis from the requirement of studying two native Indian languages.
Previous Court Proceedings
The Supreme Court had earlier, on May 27, agreed to examine the challenge and issued notices to the Centre, CBSE, and NCERT, seeking a report on the board's preparedness to implement the policy.
