Supreme Court directs that current Class 6 CBSE students receive an exemption from the three-language requirement for this academic year, with the policy applying from April 1, 2027.
The Centre had opposed a one-year exemption, saying about 99% of CBSE schools were equipped to implement the policy, while parents raised concerns over language changes, teachers and textbooks.
The broader challenge to the CBSE’s three-language framework remains before the Supreme Court, including questions over its implementation and the availability of infrastructure.
The Supreme Court on Monday directed that students currently enrolled in Class 6 under the CBSE board be given the same exemption from the mandatory three-language policy that has been extended to students in higher classes. The court said the requirement would apply to the current Class 6 batch from April 1, 2027.
The direction came after the Centre told the court that it was not inclined to exempt Class 6 students from the language requirement for the current academic year. The government submitted that around 99 per cent of CBSE schools had adopted the third-language policy and had the infrastructure needed to implement it, while about 1.2 per cent remained affected.
The court, however, said Class 6 students should receive the same “comfort” as students currently in Class 7 and directed that they be given the same exemption.
Centre Says Schools Are Ready For Three-Language Policy
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court that the government had held detailed discussions but did not intend to defer the policy for Class 6 students.
“We are not inclined to exempt Class 6 from this year onwards. They should pursue it from this year itself,” Mehta said.
The Centre told the court that about 99 per cent of CBSE schools had already adopted the three-language policy and had been provided the necessary facilities. The government said only around 1.2 per cent of schools had not yet done so.
The Supreme Court had earlier raised concerns about the rollout of the policy, including whether students would face difficulties if they were required to change languages after studying a particular language for several years. The court had also questioned whether schools had adequate teachers and resources to introduce additional languages.
The CBSE's revised framework requires students to study three languages, with at least two being Indian languages. The board has also said there will be no Class 10 Board examination for the third language, with its assessment remaining school-based and internal.
Parents Raise Concerns Over Language Changes, Textbooks
During Monday's hearing, the court also considered concerns raised by parents and schools over the practical difficulties of implementing the policy.
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant suggested that a committee of senior government officials could meet schools that had approached the court and assess their concerns.
Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appearing for the parents, opposed the proposal for another committee and sought a final decision.
He told the court that some students had been studying particular languages since Class 4 but were now being asked to switch to another language. He cited the example of students at Delhi Public School, where he said six sections had been studying Spanish since Class 4 before being shifted to Sanskrit.
The parents' lawyers also raised concerns over the availability of textbooks, saying some required books had not been available online and were still not physically available to students despite the Centre's affidavit.
Sankaranarayanan said the dispute was not about the merits of Sanskrit, Spanish or German, but about whether students should be forced to change languages midway through their schooling.
The Supreme Court indicated that the broader challenge concerning the mandatory language requirement would be considered separately.
