CBSE Language Scheme: Supreme Court Questions Use of 'Native', Asks If English Is 'Indian Indigenous Language'

While third language (R3) will not be part of the board exam for students who enter Class 10 from 2027-28, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has stated in its latest circular that students "must clear the school-based R3 assessment” in Class 10 to be awarded the Secondary School Examination Pass Certificate. This means that if students do not clear the internal assessment in their crucial board year, schools will be required to reassess unsuccessful students before the final SEEKING TO defend the three-language policy before the Supreme Court, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Monday said 47.3% of the 28,848 schools affiliated with the Board already offer two or more native Indian languages to Class 9 students. They are therefore fully compliant with the three-language policy “without any additional teacher”, while 99.19% have at least one Indian-language teacher. The figures, disclosed in a counter affidavit filed by CBSE , along with separate affidavits from the Education The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has made the third language a mandatory qualifying subject for students in Classes 9 and 10 under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 framework. From the 2027-28 academic session, while the subject will not be part of the Class 10 board examination, students must clear the school-based internal assessment to receive the Secondary School Examination pass certificate. The new rule marks a significant change in the CBSE assessment framework. While Class 9 students CBSE defended its three-language policy in the Supreme Court, asserting that nearly half of affiliated schools already meet the norms by teaching two or more Indian languages. The Board noted that almost all schools have at least one Indian language teacher, making implementation feasible. CBSE clarified that foreign languages remain an option and assured that NCERT is developing necessary academic resources for a smooth transition.