The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Monday announced a one-time relaxation for the current batch of Class IX students in the implementation of the three-language formula under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
In what the board described as a “relaxation during the transition period”, ninth grade students who have chosen two non-native languages will be allowed to continue in the same group by adding one Hindi language as the third language. The board reiterated that there will 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 aimed at ensuring that “no student is disadvantaged due to this alignment”.
What did the previous command say?
The Central Board of Secondary Education issued a circular on May 15 directing all affiliated schools to make three languages, designated R1, R2 and R3, compulsory for ninth grade students with effect from July 1. “… study of three languages (R1, R2, and R3) will be compulsory, with at least two of them being indigenous Indian languages,” it said in May.
It has directed schools to use R3 textbooks in the meantime, 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 blueprint for studies on April 2, envisaging a phased implementation of the trilingual format starting with Class 6 in 2026-27, with full rollout of Class 10 by 2030-31.
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HT reported on June 5 that CBSE’s May 15 circular challenges its board’s decision ratified in December 2025 that implementation should wait until NCERT releases customized textbooks. School principals raised concerns about logistical and academic difficulties in implementing the May 15 circular.
What does the new directive mean?
The revised guidelines issued on Monday reinstate the one-time exemption for the current batch, addressing concerns raised by schools that had admitted students under the previous language pools.
Under the guidelines, every student in Class IX will study three languages, of which at least two must be Indian languages. Students studying two non-native languages, such as English and French, can continue with both languages and add one Indian language as a third language (R3).
The board explained that the additional language would only be assessed through “internal school-wide assessment.” She added that there will be “no CBSE Board examination for this third language” when this batch advances to Class 10 in 2027-28. CBSE and NCERT will provide “grade-appropriate teaching resources” to support language learning.
The same transitional relaxation has been extended to students currently in Years 7 and 8 who are studying two non-native languages. They can continue to learn these languages with the addition of one Hindi language, with the third language assessed internally only and exempted from the Class 10 board examination.
For the current Class 10 batch (2026-27), CBSE reiterated that “there will be no change”. She said the students would continue under the current bilingual system. “This batch is not required to learn a third language,” the guidelines said.
For students entering sixth grade in the 2026-27 school year and subsequent batches, the policy will apply in full. They will study three languages, with two Hindi languages. “When this batch and subsequent Class 6 batches advance to Class 10, they have to take the board examination for R3. R3 books for Class 6 in 22 scheduled Indian languages are available on the NCERT website,” the board said.
Schools have been permitted to use flexible staffing arrangements, including tenure-track teachers, retired teachers, Sahoda school groups, and virtual or hybrid teaching, to implement the policy.
The guidelines provide for specific exceptions to the three-language policy. Children with special needs will receive accommodations 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 given complete exemption from the requirement to teach Hindi as a third language (R3). Foreign students returning to India are also exempted from studying Hindi as a third language.
CBSE’s three-language policy was challenged in the Supreme Court on May 27. Chief Justice of India led by Surya Kant has agreed to examine petitions challenging the policy. The authority asked whether schools had enough books, teachers and infrastructure, and noted that there appeared to be “issues of difficulty, inconvenience and logistical support” that required immediate attention.
The main petition, filed by 19 parents and teachers from Delhi, Gurugram, Noida and Chennai, said the May 15 circular represented a sudden reversal of CBSE’s stated position, disrupting academic planning. The matter will be heard in the second week of July.
