The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has released revised guidelines for implementing its three-language policy, providing much-needed clarity for students and schools. The board has confirmed that the current batch of Class 10 students will remain outside the scope of the new framework and will continue studying two language subjects for the 2026-27 academic session. The revised policy will instead be introduced in a phased manner, ensuring a gradual transition over the coming years.
Current Class 10 students will continue under existing system
According to NDTV, CBSE has made it clear that students who are currently enrolled in Class 10 will not be required to adopt the revised language structure. They will continue with the existing two-language format for their board examinations, avoiding any last-minute changes to the curriculum.
The phased approach has been designed to prevent disruption for students already preparing for board exams. Full implementation of the revised language framework in Class 10 is planned only by the 2030-31 academic session.
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New framework begins for lower classes
NDTV noted that students currently studying in Class 9 will be the first group to partially experience the revised structure. They will study three languages, with at least one being a Bhartiya Bhasha or Indian language. However, the third language will be assessed internally by schools rather than through a CBSE board examination.
When this batch reaches Class 10 in the 2027-28 academic year, they will not have to appear for a board examination in the third language. CBSE has also introduced transitional relief for students in Classes 7, 8 and 9 who had earlier opted for two foreign languages. They will be allowed to retain those subjects while adding one Indian language as an additional course, without facing a board examination in the newly introduced subject.
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Two Indian languages to remain at the heart of policy
Under the revised structure, students will study three languages designated as Language 1, Language 2 and Language 3. The board has mandated that two of these must be Bhartiya Bhashas, while a foreign language may be chosen only if the remaining two are Indian languages.
The list of eligible Indian languages includes Hindi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, Punjabi, Assamese, Odia and other languages recognised under the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. English, French, German, Spanish, Arabic and several other international languages remain available as foreign language options.
With the updated guidelines, CBSE aims to strengthen multilingual education while ensuring students and schools receive sufficient time to adapt to the new curriculum without placing additional pressure on current board examination batches.
