Overview
- The Supreme Court bench led by CJI Surya Kant on Monday directed that the current Class 6 cohort receive the same transitional relief already granted to Classes 7–9.
- Under the relief, Class 6 pupils must study a mandated third language but will be exempt from a Class 10 CBSE board exam in that language and will have the subject assessed at the school level.
- The court set April 1, 2027 as the date to implement this accommodation and posted the wider legal challenge over the mandatory three‑language framework for further hearing with timed affidavit deadlines.
- Parents and petitioners told the court that mid‑year rollout has caused forced language switches, lack of printed textbooks and teacher shortages, while CBSE and NCERT told the court that most Class 6 textbooks are available online and that the majority of schools report having required language teachers.
- The order provides immediate relief for the affected students and shifts focus to how NEP 2020’s language goals will be implemented in practice as the court considers questions such as the mandatory nature of the rule and the classification of English.