New Delhi – The Supreme Court of India has directed that students currently enrolled in Class 6 under the CBSE board will be exempt from the mandatory three-language policy until April 1, 2027. This ruling, issued on September 28, 2026, aims to provide these students with the same "comfort" previously extended to students in Classes 7, 8, and 9.
The Centre had initially argued against exempting the current Class 6 batch, with Solicitor General Tushar Mehta stating that the government was not inclined to make an exception for this year. Mehta highlighted that nearly 99% of approximately 2,800 CBSE schools had already adopted the third-language policy and possessed the necessary facilities, indicating that only about 1.2% of schools were affected.
Court Prioritizes Student Comfort
Despite the Centre's position, the Supreme Court emphasized the importance of minimizing additional difficulties for young students. Justice Joymalya Bagchi remarked, "We want comfort, not difficulty. We do not want to keep challenging them."
During the proceedings, Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, representing parents, voiced concerns about the practical challenges of implementing the policy. He noted instances where students, who had been studying specific languages like Spanish since Class 4, were abruptly required to switch to another language, such as Sanskrit, in Class 6. Parents also raised issues regarding the unavailability of physical textbooks for the new languages, despite assurances from the Centre.
Committee Suggestion and Future Steps
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant suggested forming a committee of senior officers to engage with petitioner schools and understand their difficulties. However, the proposal for another committee was met with opposition from the parents' counsel, who argued that previous committees had not effectively resolved the issues.
The Supreme Court has scheduled the next hearing for this matter after six weeks. The Centre has been directed to submit its counter-affidavit within four weeks, followed by a rejoinder from the petitioners within two weeks.