A recent statement by Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan that the requirement of studying three Indian languages will not be applied to those currently in grades 7, 8 and 9 has come as a relief to thousands of CBSE students and parents concerned by the move.
Dharmendra Pradhan, in an interview with the Times of India, said the new three language policy will be applied only to students in sixth standard and progress gradually. Students in grades 7,8 and 9 can continue with their current combinations until they reach grade 10.
A new CBSE circular requiring Class 9 students to follow the three-language policy from July 1, 2026, has been a cause of concern for parents, students, and educators The textbooks were also not available and students in higher grades were worried over being forced to learn a new language.
The controversy stemmed from a circular issued by CBSE on May 15, 2026, directing affiliated schools to implement the three-language policy for Class 9 students by July 1, even as several logistical concerns remain unresolved, including the availability of textbooks and curriculum material for the newly introduced languages.
Until now, Class 9 students had the option to pick three languages of their choice, as many schools offered foreign languages such as French, German, and Spanish. Under the new mandate, however, English has been classified as a ‘foreign language’ and students must study two Indian languages, requiring some to abandon languages they have studied for years.
The policy change has the potential to impact thousands of students across CBSE’s 24,000 affiliated schools.
An earlier circular, issued on April 9, 2026, required schools to implement the three-language policy from Class 6 onwards as part of efforts to promote multilingualism and national integration. The schools were instructed to offer two Indian languages among the three languages taught, while retaining the freedom to decide which languages to offer.
The CBSE has classified English as a foreign language under the new policy, despite it being one of India's official languages and serving as a primary medium of instruction in many schools across the country. Students can continue studying these foreign languages as their fourth language but parents say this would be a burden.
Shobhana Ravi, a parent whose daughter is in 9th grade at a school in Bengaluru told TNM: "You cannot scrap a whole subject and ask the student to learn a whole new language at this age; even if you are making these changes, one has to do it in a phased manner." Her daughter had been learning French since grade 6.
Manas Ranjan, whose daughter studies in 9th grade in Bengaluru also expressed his frustration: ”I understand you want to promote a multilingual environment but the CBSE should do it from 6th grade so that kids can adopt and adapt.”
He also flayed the CBSE for releasing a circular and then negating it within a month.
For many people who have jobs where transfers are regular, CBSE is the preferred Board but this sudden change is causing hardships.
Ebin Joseph, a parent from Bengaluru told TNM:“We moved to Bengaluru from Kerala and my son has been studying Kannada, French and English. After implementation of this policy, he will be forced to choose Hindi or Sanskrit instead of continuing French, despite having no knowledge of Sanskrit or Hindi.”
Ravi (name changed) from Bengaluru, another parent, said they don’t have a problem with the policy but the implementation. “You cannot make someone learn a language in 9th grade suddenly and expect them to perform in exams or assessments. Introduce this in classes where it is more feasible,” he said.
With textbooks for several languages still unavailable, CBSE has asked students to use grade 6 textbooks for the chosen Indian language until appropriate material is prepared. This has fuelled further concerns among parents and educators about the practicality of the policy's implementation
“They do not have third language textbooks, so what is the hurry in implementing this policy? This is a forced implementation. As an educational board they should provide students with more options rather than restricting it,” said Shobhana.
PIL in Supreme Court
In response to these developments, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed in the Supreme Court on May 15, 2026, by Yashica Bhandari Jain and other petitioners, challenging CBSE's implementation of the three-language policy.
Advocate Sarthak Gupta, one of the lawyers representing the petitioners, argued that the three-language formula, incorporated into the National Policy on Education in 1968, has historically been implemented as a flexible framework. "Ever since the three-language formula was introduced in the 1960s, students have had a degree of choice in the languages they study, and the policy has functioned as a recommendation rather than a compulsory mandate."
Talking about how it would affect students, he continued, "Someone who moves from Goa to Bengal and has studied Konkani as one of their languages will have to study Bangla under this new policy, this also puts these students at a disadvantage, as one has to learn and perform in a language they have never learnt or spoken before as compared to someone who is fluent in that language."
He also highlighted that this new circular is hindering students' right to equality as it is disadvantageous to those who have not learnt these native languages. The Supreme Court has sent a notice to CBSE demanding a comprehensive report. The next hearing is set for July 15, 2026.
