SC questions English’s status under CBSE’s three-language policy

The Supreme Court on Thursday said it would need to consider whether English could be treated as a “non-indigenous” language under the CBSE’s three-language policy. The court was hearing petitions challenging the board’s decision to make the study of three languages compulsory from the 2026-27 academic year, with at least two of them required to be Indian languages.

The petitioners argued that English, given its long history and widespread use in India, should not be placed on the same footing as other foreign languages. They also contended that the policy was creating difficulties for students by requiring them to take up a new Indian language after having studied other subjects for several years, Scroll.in reported.

Their main objection was to the timing of the policy’s implementation. They said they were not opposed to the three-language formula itself but argued that it should be introduced prospectively, rather than compelling students already in Class 9 to change the languages they had been studying.

Chief Justice Surya Kant suggested that the policy did not necessarily need to be withdrawn and that the issue could instead be addressed by modifying its implementation. He asked the CBSE to reconsider the matter.

Justice Joymalya Bagchi also proposed relaxing the rules for students already in Class 6, suggesting that the revised system could be introduced for the following batch so that students would have an opportunity to make an informed choice.

Under a CBSE circular issued on May 15, Class 9 students were required to study three languages from July 1. The available options depended on the languages they had previously studied, with certain transitional relaxations provided for students already enrolled in Classes 7, 8 and 9.

For the current Class 9 batch, the third language will not be part of the board examination and will instead be assessed internally by schools. Students in Classes 7 and 8 who had already opted for two foreign languages can continue with them but must also study an additional Indian language until Class 10.

The policy will, however, apply fully to students currently in Class 6, who will not receive any transitional exemption.