Supreme Court halts CBSE third-language mandate for Class 6, rollout pushed to April 2027
Class 6 students get the same freedom to choose a language as Class 7, and the three-language formula will apply from the 2027-28 session.
The Supreme Court has delivered an important ruling on the Central Board of Secondary Education's (CBSE) three-language formula. During the hearing, the court stayed the requirement to teach a third language in Class 6.
The court made clear that Class 6 students will now get the same freedom to choose a language that Class 7 students already have. Under the order, the assessment of the third language for Class 6 students will also be conducted at the school level.
The court also directed that the three-language formula be implemented from the new academic session 2027-28. This means the CBSE policy will formally come into force across the country from April 1, 2027.
In an earlier hearing, the court had advised the Centre to consider implementing the arrangement from next year. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, had argued that about 99 per cent of schools in the country were fully prepared to teach a third language. Even so, considering the pressure on children and the system as a whole, the court said the policy should not be forced on the current session but should apply from April 1, 2027.
According to the court's order, students who move into Class 6 next year will have to study two Indian languages and one foreign language under the rules. English is counted as the foreign language.
Students now in Classes 7 and 8 have already been given some concessions. If they are already studying two non-Indian languages, such as English and French, they can continue with them and choose any one Indian language as the third language (R3). For the current Classes 7 to 10, there will be no central board examination for R3. Its internal assessment will be entirely at the school level. Following the court's new order, the same arrangement now applies to Class 6 students as well.
In its affidavit, CBSE has also clarified that students who fail the internal assessment of R3 (the third language) in Class 9 will still be promoted to Class 10. Such students will be given another chance to pass the R3 internal examination in Class 10. However, to pass the Class 10 board examination, students will need a certificate from the school stating that they have passed R3.
