CBSE Three-Language Policy: Supreme Court Extends Class 7 Exemption To Class 6 Students
In Short
The Supreme Court has directed CBSE to extend the existing exemption from the three-language policy to the current Class 6 batch, with mandatory implementation deferred until April 2027.
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Supreme Court on Monday directed the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)
The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to extend to the current Class 6 batch the same relief already available to students of Classes 7, 8 and 9 under the board’s three-language framework.
The direction came despite the Centre informing the court that it was not inclined to defer the policy for Class 6 students this academic year. The court said the present Class 6 students should be given the same “comfort” as the students who had already received the exemption and directed that mandatory implementation for them begin from April 1, 2027.
Supreme Court Grants Relief To Current Class 6 Batch
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, considered petitions challenging the implementation of CBSE’s revised three-language framework.
The Centre told the court that approximately 99 per cent of CBSE schools had adopted the policy and had the infrastructure needed to implement it. According to the government, only about 1.2 per cent of nearly 2,800 schools were affected by the issue.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the government was not prepared to exempt Class 6 students from the policy for the current academic year.
The court, however, directed that students presently studying in Class 6 receive the same exemption as their Class 7 counterparts.
The larger legal questions surrounding the three-language requirement will continue to be examined by the Supreme Court.
Court Raises Concerns Over Mid-Year Language Change
During the hearing, the bench considered concerns about implementing a new language requirement after students had already begun studying particular languages.
CJI Surya Kant suggested that senior government officials could interact directly with schools that had approached the court to understand the practical difficulties they were facing.
The parents’ side, however, argued that another committee would not resolve the issue and sought a clear judicial decision.
Their counsel submitted that some students had been studying a particular language since Class 4 and were now being asked to change their language combination because of the revised framework.
Parents Raise Textbook And Teacher Concerns
Parents and schools also highlighted logistical difficulties associated with the policy, including the availability of teachers and textbooks.
Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appearing for the parents, cited the example of students at a Delhi Public School who had been studying Spanish since Class 4. He said several students were subsequently being shifted to Sanskrit under the new arrangement.
The petitioners maintained that the sudden change could disrupt students who had already spent years studying a particular language.
They also raised concerns about the availability of physical textbooks, arguing that although the Centre had stated that books were available, students did not necessarily have access to printed copies.
Court Says Students Should Not Face Additional Difficulty
Justice Joymalya Bagchi emphasised that the court did not want the policy transition to create unnecessary difficulties for students.
The Solicitor General argued that Class 6 students were capable of adapting to the change. Justice Bagchi responded that the court's concern was to ensure that students were provided with “comfort, not difficulty.”
The court subsequently directed that the present Class 6 students be given the same relief already available to Class 7 students and that the new implementation timeline begin on April 1, 2027.
What Is CBSE’s Three-Language Policy?
CBSE introduced changes to its language framework in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023.
The revised framework envisages students studying three languages, with at least two being Indian languages. For Class 9 students in the 2026-27 academic session, CBSE had announced that three languages would become compulsory from July 1, 2026, while the third language would not have a separate Class 10 board examination.
The implementation has faced challenges from parents and schools, who have questioned the timing of the change, availability of teachers and learning materials, and the impact on students already pursuing other languages.
The Supreme Court has now extended the transitional relief to the current Class 6 batch. The matter has been listed after six weeks, with the Centre directed to file its counter-affidavit within four weeks and the petitioners given two weeks thereafter to file their rejoinder.
