Over 47% schools already comply with 3-language policy, CBSE tells Supreme Court
Ahead of the Supreme Court hearing, the CBSE has defended its revised three-language policy, saying nearly half of its affiliated schools already meet the new requirement. The Board has also argued that foreign languages have not been removed from the curriculum.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has defended its revised three-language policy before the Supreme Court, stating that 47.3 per cent of its 28,848 affiliated schools already offer two or more Bhartiya Bhashas to Class 9 students and therefore comply with the new framework without requiring any additional teachers.
The figures were placed before the court in a counter affidavit filed by the CBSE. Separate affidavits have also been submitted by the Ministry of Education and the NCERT, together forming the Centre's defence against petitions filed by parents and foreign-language teachers challenging the policy.
BOARD DEFENDS ITS STAND
According to the CBSE affidavit, 99.19 per cent of affiliated schools already have at least one teacher for an Indian language, while schools that require more time to build teaching capacity have been allowed flexible staffing arrangements as an interim measure.
The petitions, filed by parents from Delhi, Gurugram, Noida and Chennai along with foreign-language teachers, challenge the Board's May 15 circular, which made the study of three languages compulsory for Class 9 students from July 1, 2026. The matter is scheduled to be heard by the Supreme Court on Tuesday.
PETITIONERS QUESTION POLICY SHIFT
The petitioners have argued that the circular is unconstitutional, arbitrary and violative of Articles 14, 19, 21 and 21A of the Constitution.
They contend that the Board reversed its own notification issued just 36 days earlier, which had stated that the third language requirement would not apply to Class 9 until the 2029-30 academic session.
They have further submitted that schools have been asked to implement the policy despite the absence of textbooks, trained teachers and a board assessment framework, forcing students to rely on Class 6 textbooks while permitting teachers of other subjects with only "functional proficiency" to teach the third language.
NO BAN ON FOREIGN LANGUAGES
CBSE has disputed the petitioners' central argument that foreign languages are being removed from schools. In its affidavit, the Board stated that there is no prohibition on studying a foreign language, which may continue either as one of the three compulsory languages or as an additional fourth language. It argued that the petitions wrongly portray the conditional retention of foreign languages as their elimination.
Meanwhile, NCERT informed the court that textbooks in 22 Scheduled Languages are already under preparation, review and dissemination.
It also said that a High-Powered Task Force, in coordination with CBSE, NIOS and academic experts, has been constituted to expedite the development of Class 9 textbooks required during the transition phase.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has defended its revised three-language policy before the Supreme Court, stating that 47.3 per cent of its 28,848 affiliated schools already offer two or more Bhartiya Bhashas to Class 9 students and therefore comply with the new framework without requiring any additional teachers.
The figures were placed before the court in a counter affidavit filed by the CBSE. Separate affidavits have also been submitted by the Ministry of Education and the NCERT, together forming the Centre's defence against petitions filed by parents and foreign-language teachers challenging the policy.
BOARD DEFENDS ITS STAND
According to the CBSE affidavit, 99.19 per cent of affiliated schools already have at least one teacher for an Indian language, while schools that require more time to build teaching capacity have been allowed flexible staffing arrangements as an interim measure.
The petitions, filed by parents from Delhi, Gurugram, Noida and Chennai along with foreign-language teachers, challenge the Board's May 15 circular, which made the study of three languages compulsory for Class 9 students from July 1, 2026. The matter is scheduled to be heard by the Supreme Court on Tuesday.
PETITIONERS QUESTION POLICY SHIFT
The petitioners have argued that the circular is unconstitutional, arbitrary and violative of Articles 14, 19, 21 and 21A of the Constitution.
They contend that the Board reversed its own notification issued just 36 days earlier, which had stated that the third language requirement would not apply to Class 9 until the 2029-30 academic session.
They have further submitted that schools have been asked to implement the policy despite the absence of textbooks, trained teachers and a board assessment framework, forcing students to rely on Class 6 textbooks while permitting teachers of other subjects with only "functional proficiency" to teach the third language.
NO BAN ON FOREIGN LANGUAGES
CBSE has disputed the petitioners' central argument that foreign languages are being removed from schools. In its affidavit, the Board stated that there is no prohibition on studying a foreign language, which may continue either as one of the three compulsory languages or as an additional fourth language. It argued that the petitions wrongly portray the conditional retention of foreign languages as their elimination.
Meanwhile, NCERT informed the court that textbooks in 22 Scheduled Languages are already under preparation, review and dissemination.
It also said that a High-Powered Task Force, in coordination with CBSE, NIOS and academic experts, has been constituted to expedite the development of Class 9 textbooks required during the transition phase.
