The current batches of classes 7, 8, and 9 who have already taken two foreign languages would continue with the same with one additional native Indian Language (Bhartiya Bhasha), revised guidelines issued by Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) said.
In a circular issued in May, CBSE had stated that students in Class 9 too will have to adopt three language policy where two of three languages they learn should be native to India. Following this, parents of students who were learning foreign languages like French, German, Japanese, Spanish and so on and were asked to switch mid session had protested at the abrupt switch.
Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan had stated last week that students in Class 7, 8, 9 who have taken foreign languages could continue their studies in their respective selected options.
The current batch of class ten will not have to follow the new language policy, the education board stated.
The current batches studying in class 7, 8, 9 would not be required to give board examination in third language when they progress to Class 10, the statement further added.
The grade appropriate resource material would be made available in a time bound manner.
The National Education Policy 2020 recommends learning three languages, with at least two o fthe three languages being native to India.
“While CBSE aims to equip learners with competence in multiple Bhartiya Bhashas (native Indian languages) and promote the vibrancy of language learning, it is equally committed to ensuring that the process of learning and growth remains balanced,” CBSE said in its press statement on Monday (June 29, 2026).
Further, the introduction of the third language (R3) in Secondary Stage (Class 9 and Class 10, is an extension of language learning from the Middle Stage (Classes 6 to 8).
In pursuance of the above objectives, it is considered necessary to issue guidelines regarding the implementation of the Language Policy in CBSE-affiliated schools with effect from the Academic Session 2026–27.
CBSE has reiterated that there will be no change for students who are in Class X during 2026–27, and they will continue with the old system of two languages. No third language is required to be taken by this batch.
Every student in Class 9 would study three languages. Out of these three languages, at least two would be Bhartiya Bhashas. Examples of Bhartiya Bhashas: Hindi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Bengali, Punjabi, Gujarati, Odia, Assamese, etc.
Examples of non-native languages are English, French, German, Arabic, Spanish, etc. The following situations will help clarify the doubts, if any, in the minds of students in Class IX, CBSE has stated.
Situation 1: You already study two Bhartiya Bhashas. Example: Hindi + Tamil
You can choose as your third language:
Another Bhartiya Bhasha
OR
A non-native language such as English or French.
Situation 2: You study one Bhartiya Bhasha and one non-native language
Example: Tamil + English
You can choose any Bhartiya Bhasha as third language (R3).
Situation 3: You study two non-native languages
Example: English + French
As a special one-time relaxation for students who are already in Class IX during 2026-27, you may continue with those two non-native languages and need to add one Bhartiya Bhasha as your third language (R3).
For Class nine, the third language (R3) will be assessed by your school through an internal school-based assessment only. There will be no CBSE Board examination for this third language when this batch progresses to Class X 2027-28, CBSE has stated.
CBSE and NCERT will provide grade-appropriate learning resources to help students learn the third language, the press release states.
“For students who are in Class VII or VIII in 2026-27, when you reach Class IX and X, you will continue studying three languages, with two of them being Bhartiya Bhashas.
There is relaxation for the current batch of Class 7 (2026-27) and Class 8 (2026-27), the students who have already selected and started studying 2 non-native languages , they need to study one additional Bhartiya Bhasha and continue the same till class ten.
“The third language (R3) will be assessed by the school through an internal school-based assessment only. There will be no CBSE Board examination for this third language when these batches progress to Class ten.”
For Class six, out of the three languages, two would be Bhartiya Bhashas for this batch and onwards. When this batch and the subsequent Class 6 batches progress to Class ten, they shall take the Board examination of R3, CBSE has stated.
“The dedicated R3 textbooks for class six in 22 scheduled Bhartiya Bhashas are being made available on www.ncert.nic.in,” CBSE has stated.
The following categories are exempted from the three-language policy: For Children with Special Needs (CwSN): Relaxations and exemptions from the compulsory third language requirement are granted as per the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016.
For Schools outside India: Full exemption from a native Indian Language as third language (R3) is provided to all CBSE schools situated outside India.
Foreign students returning to India are also exempted from studying a native Indian language as third language (R3), CBSE has stated.
In the case of parents/guardians migrating to another State, the student may continue with the existing combination of languages they opted for as R3 in Middle Stage in Class IX also. In such cases, schools must necessarily provision adequate resources to support the student’s choices.
“Flexible Staffing provisions have been provided. Schools are required to engage existing teachers (with functional proficiency), retired teachers, postgraduates, or use Sahodaya clusters (inter-school sharing) and virtual/hybrid teaching,” CBSE has stated.
“The Board has been taking measures to promote positive learning experiences for students, which include innovative and joyful learning resources, focus on conceptual clarity, not on rote learning, and maintaining continuous assessment practices incorporating examination reforms. The Board reiterates that these implementation guidelines are issued to align with NEP 2020 while protecting student interests.
No student shall be disadvantaged due to this alignment. The focus remains on joyful, meaningful language learning, not on examination. CBSE will endeavour to hand-hold schools, in the best possible manner, through additional learning resources (as required) and capacity building in the implementation of NEP 2020. Schools are requested to communicate these provisions positively to teachers, students, and parents, emphasizing the long-term benefits of multilingual proficiency and cultural rootedness,” CBSE has stated.
