The direction was passed in a batch of petitions filed by parents and teachers challenging a CBSE circular issued on May 15, 2026.
The petitioners argued that the sudden mandate reversed CBSE’s earlier circular of April 9, 2026, which had deferred the third-language requirement until 2029–30.
They contended that introducing the mandate mid-stream caused acute academic disruption as there was a severe deficit of trained language teachers and textbooks.
They added that it unfairly prejudiced students preparing for secondary board examinations.
While issuing notice in May, the top court had flagged administrative and logistical hurdles over the sudden rollout.
The direction was passed in a batch of petitions filed by parents and teachers challenging a CBSE circular issued on May 15, 2026.
The circular had aligned the CBSE scheme of studies with the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP) and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023 (NCF-SE), mandating that students in Classes VI-IX study three languages, including at least two native Indian languages.
The petitioners argued that the sudden mandate reversed CBSE’s earlier circular of April 9, 2026, which had deferred the third-language requirement until 2029–30.
They contended that introducing the mandate mid-stream caused acute academic disruption as there was a severe deficit of trained language teachers and textbooks. They added that it unfairly prejudiced students preparing for secondary board examinations.
While issuing notice in May, the top court had flagged administrative and logistical hurdles over the sudden rollout.
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