Overview
- The Central Board of Secondary Education has directed that students entering Class IX must study three languages starting July 1, 2026, with at least two of the languages being Indian languages.
- Parents and students warn the late timing will disrupt academic plans and add pressure by forcing many pupils to drop long‑pursued foreign languages such as German or French.
- School leaders say shortages of trained language teachers and the absence of dedicated third‑language textbooks make full rollout unlikely without stopgap measures.
- CBSE has proposed interim fixes, including use of Class VI language texts, redeploying retired or other staff and virtual teaching, and said the third language will be assessed internally rather than in the Class X board exam.
- The decision has triggered state pushback and a public interest litigation in the Supreme Court, reviving long‑standing federal and regional concerns about linguistic policy and choice.