The Supreme Court on Wednesday raised serious concerns over the implementation of CBSE’s revised three-language policy, asking whether schools across India have enough teachers, textbooks and infrastructure to enforce the new rules from the upcoming academic session.
A bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant issued notices to the Centre, CBSE and NCERT while hearing petitions challenging the May 15, 2026 circular mandating three languages for Class IX students from July 1. Petitioners argued that the sudden change has caused confusion among students, parents and schools, especially as many institutions are unprepared for the transition.
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The court repeatedly questioned the availability of trained teachers and study material, observing that “issues of hardship, inconvenience and logistical support” needed urgent attention. Senior advocates Mukul Rohatgi and Kapil Sibal argued that the policy could impose languages on students and disrupt academic continuity.
The CBSE policy, aligned with the National Education Policy 2020, requires students to study three languages from Classes VI to X, with at least two being Indian languages. Petitioners have challenged the move as arbitrary and impractical, citing lack of infrastructure and violation of educational rights.
The matter will now be heard in July after the Centre files its response.
