3-language policy: CBSE grants one-time exemption to current Class 9 students

THe exchange room of Secondary training (CBSE) on mon proclaimed a one-time relaxation for the current batch of Class 9 students in implementing the three-language formula under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.In what the board described as “relaxations during the transitional period”, Class 9 students who had opted for two non-native languages will be allowed to continue with the same combination by adding one Indian language as the third. The board reiterated that there would be no CBSE examination for this third language when the current Class 9 batch is promoted to Class 10. It stressed that the move is intended to ensure “no student shall be disadvantaged due to this alignment.”The CBSE issued a circular on May 15 directing all affiliated schools to make three languages, designated R1, R2, and R3, compulsory for Class 9 students from July 1. “...the study of three languages (R1, R2, and R3) shall be compulsory, with at least two of them being native Indian languages,” it said in May.It had directed schools to use Class 6 R3 textbooks in the interim, citing a “75–80% overlap in core language competencies” between the two stages. The May 15 directive came six weeks after CBSE unveiled a revised scheme of studies on April 2, envisaging phased implementation of the three-language formula starting from Class 6 in 2026-27, with full roll-out to Class 10 by 2030-31.HT on June 5 reported that CBSE’s May 15 circular defied a decision of its own governing body ratified in December 2025 that implementation should wait until NCERT released dedicated textbooks. School principals raised concerns over logistics and academic difficulties in implementing the May 15 circular.The revised guidelines issued on Monday restore a one-time exemption for the current batch, addressing concerns raised by schools that had admitted students under the previous language combinations.Under the guidelines, every Class 9 student will study three languages, of which at least two must be Indian languages. Students studying two non-native languages, such as English and French, may continue with both and add one Indian language as the third language (R3).The board clarified that the additional language will be assessed only through “internal school-based assessment”. It added that there will be “no CBSE Board examination for this third language” when this batch progresses to Class 10 in 2027-28. CBSE and NCERT will provide “grade-appropriate learning resources” to support language learning.The same transitional relaxation has been extended to students currently in Classes 7 and 8 who study two non-native languages. They can continue with those languages while adding one Indian language, with the third language assessed only internally and exempt from the Class 10 board examination.For the current Class 10 batch (2026-27), CBSE reiterated that “there will be no change”. It said students will continue under the existing two-language system. “No third language is required to be taken by this batch,” the guidelines said.For students entering Class 6 in 2026-27 and subsequent batches, the policy will apply in full. They will study three languages, with two Indian. “When this batch and the subsequent Class 6 batches progress to Class 10, they shall take the board examination of R3. The dedicated R3 textbooks for class 6 in 22 scheduled Indian languages are being made available on the NCERT website,” the board said.Schools have been permitted to use flexible staffing arrangements, including teachers with functional proficiency, retired teachers, Sahodaya school clusters, and virtual or hybrid teaching, to implement the policy.The guidelines carve out specific exemptions from the three-language policy. Children with Special Needs will receive relaxations and exemptions from the compulsory third language in accordance with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.All CBSE schools outside India have been granted a full exemption from the requirement of teaching an Indian language as the third language (R3). Foreign students returning to India are likewise exempt from studying an Indian language as the third language.CBSE’s three-language policy was challenged in the Supreme Court on May 27. A Chief Justice of India Surya Kant-led bench agreed to examine petitions challenging the policy. The bench questioned whether schools had adequate books, teachers, and infrastructure, observing that there appeared to be “issues of hardship, inconvenience and logistical support” requiring immediate attention.The lead petition, filed by 19 parents and teachers from Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, and Chennai, argued the May 15 circular marked a sudden reversal of CBSE’s stated position, disrupting academic planning. The matter will be heard in the second week of July.