The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought clarification on the terminology used in the CBSE’s three-language policy after hearing petitions challenging the requirement for Class 9 students to study two Indian languages as part of the revised language formula. The court issued notice to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and granted two weeks for its response. The matter will be heard next on July 22.

During the hearing, Justice Joymalya Bagchi questioned the use of the term “native language” in the CBSE circulars, stating that the phrase could have different interpretations. The judge observed that “native Indian language” might also be understood as referring to an indigenous Indian language and said the terminology used in the policy may need reconsideration. The court noted that while the objective of promoting Indian languages was clear, questions remained about the wording and implementation.

Representing the petitioners, senior advocate G Sankaranarayanan raised concerns about the practical challenges of implementing the policy. He told the court that several schools were facing difficulties in arranging textbooks and teachers for the required languages. He also argued that the policy could create problems for students by changing language requirements during their academic years and affecting preparation for higher classes.

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Other senior advocates appearing in the matter also questioned the readiness of schools to implement the revised framework. Anand Grover argued that CBSE lacked the legal authority to impose such requirements and said students should have meaningful choices based on their educational and career needs. Mukul Rohatgi questioned whether schools had sufficient infrastructure, including teachers capable of handling multiple Indian languages, while Shyam Divan raised concerns over the timeline of implementation.

The petitions challenge CBSE circulars issued in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCFSE) 2023. Under the revised framework, students from Classes 6 to 9 will be required to study three languages from July 2026, with at least two of them being Indian languages. Petitioners have argued that the policy imposes additional academic pressure and lacks adequate preparation, including availability of textbooks, trained teachers, and clear assessment guidelines.

The Supreme Court had earlier sought responses from the Centre, CBSE, and the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) on similar challenges to the language policy. The petitioners, including parents and teachers from different cities, have also raised concerns about regional differences in implementation and the impact on students preparing for board examinations. The court’s upcoming hearing is expected to examine both the legal basis and practical aspects of the revised language framework.

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