CBSE makes three-language study compulsory from Class IX under NEP 2020

Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has made the study of three languages compulsory for students from Class IX beginning July 1, 2026, in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023.

In a circular issued on May 15, the Board stated that students in Class IX will be required to study three languages — R1, R2 and R3 — with at least two of them being native Indian languages.

“With effect from July 1, 2026, for Class IX, the study of three languages (R1, R2, R3) shall be compulsory, with at least two languages being native Indian languages,” the circular stated.

However, CBSE clarified that there will be no Board examination for the third language at the Class X level in order to reduce pressure on students and maintain focus on learning.

“All assessments for R3 shall be entirely school-based and internal. The performance of students in R3 will be duly reflected in the CBSE certificate,” the Board said.

The Board also clarified that no student would be barred from appearing in the Class X Board examinations because of the third language requirement.

According to CBSE, schools may offer any language from the approved subject list, provided at least two of the selected languages are Indian languages. Foreign languages may only be offered as the third language if the other two are Indian languages, or as an optional fourth language.

As part of the transition process, students in Class IX will temporarily use Class VI textbooks for the third language until specialised textbooks for the secondary level become available. Schools have also been advised to incorporate local and regional literature into the curriculum.

To address the shortage of qualified language teachers, CBSE suggested temporary arrangements such as inter-school faculty sharing, virtual teaching support and the engagement of retired teachers or qualified postgraduate candidates.

The Board further announced special relaxations for Children with Special Needs (CwSN), schools located outside India and foreign students relocating to India, to be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Meanwhile, CBSE also defended its On-Screen Marking (OSM) system amid concerns regarding Class XII evaluation, stating that the digital assessment process was introduced to ensure transparency, fairness and consistency in marking while retaining provisions for re-evaluation.