Centre has clarified that CBSE students currently studying in Classes VII, VIII and IX who have opted for two foreign languages under the three-language policy will be allowed to continue with the same subject combination till Class X, sources in the Ministry of Education told ANI.The clarification comes weeks after a CBSE circular issued in May said that from July 1, students entering Class IX from the 2026-27 academic session must study three languages, with at least two being Indian languages, in line with the National Curriculum Framework (NCF). The circular had sparked protests from some students and parents, with petitions later being filed in the Supreme Court.According to the Ministry sources, the requirement of studying at least two Indian languages will apply only to students entering Class VI in the future. It will not be enforced retrospectively on students who are already studying in Classes VII, VIII and IX.“The requirement of studying at least two Indian languages as part of the three-language policy will be implemented prospectively from Class VI and will not apply retrospectively to students already studying in Classes VII, VIII and IX,” they said.However, the clarification should not be seen as a rollback of the policy. “It is not backtracking. This provision was already there; it just wasn’t explicit enough. There wasn’t sufficient clarity, and this is simply meant to provide that clarity,” a senior employee at Ministry of Education, reportedly said.“About 98.5 per cent of CBSE students already follow the three-language formula. The issue concerns a very small group of students, largely in urban and metropolitan areas, some of whom had opted for two foreign languages. We are making an exception for these particular cases,” they added. Formal orders reflecting the clarification are expected to be issued soon.The clarification comes more than a week after the Supreme Court refused to grant interim relief on petitions challenging the implementation of the CBSE’s three-language policy for Class IX students from the 2026-27 academic session. A Bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice V Mohana declined to stay the policy and directed that the plea be tagged with similar petitions already pending before the court.The controversy began after the CBSE’s May circular implemented the language provisions of the National Curriculum Framework, requiring students entering Class IX from the 2026-27 academic session to study three languages, including at least two Indian languages. The move had raised concerns among students who had already opted for two foreign languages under the earlier framework.
