The Supreme Court on Thursday raised concerns over the Central Board of Secondary Education's (CBSE) decision to make a third language compulsory for students entering Class 9 under the National Education Policy (NEP).
During the hearing, the court observed that introducing a new language in Class 9 could increase pressure on students who are already preparing for Class 10 board examinations. Justice B.V. Nagarathna remarked that if a third language is to be introduced, it should ideally begin from Class 6, when students are better placed to adapt to language learning.
The observations come amid legal challenges to CBSE's revised language policy. While the Board has provided transitional relaxations for the current batch, the Supreme Court's remarks have reignited the debate over the timing and implementation of the three-language framework. The matter remains under judicial consideration.
