CHENNAI: Former Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai on Tuesday raised eyebrows in political circles after he publicly disagreed with the Union government by urging it to withdraw the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)’s recent circular implementing the three-language policy for Class IX students from the current academic year.
In a statement, Annamalai said he had welcomed the CBSE’s April 2026 announcement mandating three languages from Class VI onwards, with at least two being Indian languages, saying the move would help children understand India’s diverse literary and cultural heritage at a young age.
However, he pointed out that the April notification had clearly stated that the compulsory third-language requirement for Class IX students would come into force only from the 2029-30 academic year.
Referring to a fresh circular issued by the CBSE on May 15, Annamalai said the board had now advanced the implementation to the current academic year itself.
According to the revised circular, Class IX students will now have to compulsorily study three languages, including two Indian languages, from July 1, 2026.
CHENNAI: Former Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai on Tuesday raised eyebrows in political circles after he publicly disagreed with the Union government by urging it to withdraw the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)’s recent circular implementing the three-language policy for Class IX students from the current academic year.
In a statement, Annamalai said he had welcomed the CBSE’s April 2026 announcement mandating three languages from Class VI onwards, with at least two being Indian languages, saying the move would help children understand India’s diverse literary and cultural heritage at a young age.
However, he pointed out that the April notification had clearly stated that the compulsory third-language requirement for Class IX students would come into force only from the 2029-30 academic year. Referring to a fresh circular issued by the CBSE on May 15, Annamalai said the board had now advanced the implementation to the current academic year itself. According to the revised circular, Class IX students will now have to compulsorily study three languages, including two Indian languages, from July 1, 2026.
