The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced that clearing a third language assessment will be mandatory for Class 10 students to receive their Secondary School Examination pass certificate. This significant policy change, implemented under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 framework, will take effect from the 2027-28 academic session.
New Requirements for Class 10 Certification
Under the new directive, students will not face a board examination for the third language. Instead, they must clear a school-based internal assessment. Should a student fail this initial assessment, schools are required to conduct a reassessment before the final board results are declared, ensuring that the requirement cannot be bypassed.
This rule applies to students who will be entering Class 9 in the 2026-27 academic year and subsequently Class 10 in 2027-28. Students currently in Class 10 and those appearing for the 2026-27 board examinations are not affected by this change.
Provision for Class 9 Students and the Three-Language Formula
For students in Class 9, the policy includes a specific provision: those who do not clear their third language assessment will still be promoted to Class 10 in 2027-28. However, they will be required to clear the pending Class 9 assessment while studying in Class 10. This ensures the language requirement is met before secondary school completion without holding students back a year.
The July 10 circular reinforces an earlier directive from June 29, which introduced a three-language formula starting from Class 6 in the 2026-27 academic session. Under this revised structure, students must study three languages, with at least two being native Indian languages. Previously, students often dropped their third language after Class 8; the new policy extends this study through Class 9 from 2026-27 and Class 10 from 2027-28.
Policy Faces Legal Challenge
The three-language framework has not been universally accepted and is currently facing a legal challenge. A writ petition has been filed questioning CBSE's circulars, with petitioners advocating for the restoration of an earlier CBSE position that had postponed compulsory implementation at the Class 9 level to the 2029-30 session.
In response, the Ministry of Education filed a nine-page counter-affidavit on July 13, following a Supreme Court notice issued in May 2026. The Centre has defended the policy on constitutional and public interest grounds, asserting that education falls under the Concurrent List, granting both Union and State governments authority in its implementation. The government argues that the three-language formula promotes multilingualism, preserves Indian languages, supports cognitive development, and fosters national integration and cultural diversity.