SC Gives Class 6 Students One-Time Exemption From CBSE Three-Language Policy

The Supreme Court has directed the CBSE to give students now in Class 6 a one-time exemption from its three-language policy, giving them the same relief already available to students in Classes 7, 8 and 9. The interim order was passed by a bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, which also included justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, while hearing petitions against the rollout of the policy.

The bench said, “We direct the students of Class 6 may be granted the same exemption as granted to Class 7 students.” It posted the main challenge to the three-language policy, including the issue of treating English as a foreign language, for hearing after six weeks.

The dispute arose from petitions that first challenged the policy for Class 9 and later its extension to Class 6. The court’s immediate concern was the effect of a mid-session change on children, even as it left the wider policy question open.

CBSE’s rollout plan

CBSE defended the rollout. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati appeared for the Board and informed the bench that the court’s suggestion on exempting the present Class 6 batch had been considered. CBSE has decided to implement the framework for Class 6 students starting this year.

Mehta said nearly 99% of around 28,000 CBSE schools had adopted the policy and had the required books and teachers. He also said only 1.2% of schools were facing difficulty in implementing the rollout.

The Board argued that Class 6 was meant to be the entry point for the relevant cohort under the National Education Policy 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023. According to Mehta, exempting the current batch would mean these students move into Classes 7 and 8 without the learning exposure and continuity built into the revised framework.

Court’s Soft Launch

The bench said the policy should not be forced on the present Class 6 cohort several months after the academic session began in April.

The judges said, “Let students of Class 6 have the same comfort as Class 7 students. What we are saying is that so many months have passed since the academic session began in April. Have it implemented from April 2027. By then, the books and requisite teachers will also be available.” That effectively proposed a delayed start for the current Class 6 batch even as the wider policy remained intact.

The court also stressed that it was not blocking the scheme itself. It said, “Please consider that we are not putting any interdict on the CBSE scheme. We asked for an exemption this year so that students can come to terms with the change. It was only a question of a soft launch so that they could be given the same privilege as Class 7 students.”

The bench then proposed a practical step for schools that were struggling. It suggested a committee of expert officers could reach out to institutions facing difficulty so that implementation issues did not turn into a larger dispute.

Petitioners’ Objections

Petitioners pressed for quick relief. Senior advocates Gopal Sankaranarayanan and Anand Grover were among those appearing against the rollout and argued that the issue could not be stretched further because students were already anxious.

The challenge affects a large group. Petitioners told the court the matter concerns the future of nearly 3,00,000 students in CBSE schools and argued that parents had waited long enough for clarity.

Sankaranarayanan said the students were already under psychological and mental pressure and that CBSE should avoid adding to their burden in the middle of the academic calendar. The court, while explaining its interim approach, said, “We made the suggestion due to the impact it had on children so that the question of logistical difficulty does not become a pressing concern.”

Grover also told the court that textbooks for some Indian languages were still unavailable. Other petitioners pointed out that some Class 9 textbooks were available only online and printed copies were still awaited, which they argued would create a serious impediment for students in rural areas.

Language Framework Details

CBSE placed data on record. The Board had earlier informed the court that Class 6 textbooks for the third language in all 22 scheduled Indian languages were already available on the NCERT website and covered the choices of more than 98% of schools.

For the remaining languages, the Board informed the court that SCERT textbooks and resources would be used. On staffing, CBSE said data from 20,777 schools showed that 19,386, or about 93.3%, already had teachers for at least two distinct indigenous languages. Of these, 3,523 schools had teachers for three or more such languages.

The Board also informed the court that a five-member committee was constituted on September 16 to facilitate and monitor implementation of the three-language framework in Classes 6 to 10. The panel is headed by education ministry director Bhagwati Prasad Kalal and includes NCERT secretary Rajeev Kumar, CBSE director (academics) Praggya M Singh, KVS additional commissioner Chandana Mandal and NVS deputy commissioner Somvir Poonia.

Under the present arrangement, the requirement could become mandatory for students entering Class 6 next year. The change requires at least two of the three languages to be indigenous Indian languages.

CBSE has already granted transitional relief to students in Classes 7, 8 and 9 who were studying two non-indigenous languages. They can keep their existing combination while adding an Indian language, and that additional language will be assessed at the school level instead of through the Class 10 board examination.

Allaying those concerns, the bench said, “We want to see one school holding back a student on internal assessment.”