New Delhi, June 29: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Monday issued revised guidelines for implementing its three-language policy, exempting the current Class 10 batch from the requirement to study three languages.
As a one-time relaxation, students currently in Class 9 during the 2026–27 academic session will be permitted to study two foreign (non-native) languages along with one Indian language as the third language.
The decision comes more than a month after CBSE announced that three-language study, including at least two Indian languages, would become mandatory for Class 9 students from July 1, prompting legal challenges from several students and parents.
CBSE Academics Director Praggya M. Singh clarified that the current Class 10 students will not be covered under the new policy. She also said that students currently studying in Classes 7 to 9 will not be required to appear for a board examination in the third language when they reach Class 10.
In April, CBSE announced a phased rollout of the three-language formula from Class 6 and introduced a two-level system for Mathematics and Science for Class 9 beginning with the 2026–27 academic session.
Under the new structure, Mathematics and Science will be offered at two levels—mandatory Standard and optional Advanced. All students will take a common 80-mark examination, while those opting for the Advanced level will appear for an additional paper designed to assess deeper conceptual understanding and higher-order thinking skills.
The first Class 10 board examination under this two-level system is scheduled for 2028 for students entering Class 9 in the 2026–27 session.
Earlier, on May 15, CBSE had clarified that students wishing to study a foreign language could do so only as a third language after learning two Indian languages or as an additional fourth language.
