Overview
- Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Friday that students already in Classes 7, 8 and 9 who study two foreign languages may continue the same combination until they finish Class 10.
- The May 15 CBSE circular that required three languages with at least two Indian languages will now be applied prospectively from the cohort entering Class 6 rather than retrospectively to current batches.
- CBSE still needs to place an amended order before its governing council and issue a formal notification to set out operational details for textbooks, teacher deployment and assessment.
- Officials note the change affects a small group: roughly 30,000 students opt for foreign languages out of about 2.4 million who sit the Class X exam each year, and most CBSE pupils already follow the three‑language pattern.
- The policy is part of CBSE’s alignment with NEP 2020 and NCF‑SE 2023 and will be accompanied by textbooks in 22 Indian languages and expanded vocational and two‑level subject structures over coming years.