CBSE relaxes three language policy for class 7, 8, 9; allows two foreign languages
The present groups of classes 7, 8 and 9, who have already passed two foreign languages, would continue in the same manner with one more native Indian language (Bhartiya Bhasha), the revised guidelines issued by Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) he said.
In a circular issued in May, the CBSE said that even students in Class 9 will have to adopt the tri-language policy, where two of the three languages they learn should be of Indian origin. Then, parents of students who were learning foreign languages like French, German, Japanese, Spanish and so on and were asked to switch in the middle of the lesson protested the sudden switch.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan last week said that students of class 7, 8 and 9 who were learning foreign languages can continue their studies in their respective chosen options.
The current Class 10 batch will not have to follow the new language policy, the board of education said.
The current batches studying in classes 7, 8 and 9 would not have to take the third language board exam when they advance to class 10, the statement further said.
Source material suitable for evaluation would be made available in a time-limited manner.
The National Education Policy 2020 recommends learning three languages, with at least two of the three languages originating from India.
“While CBSE aims to equip students with competence in multiple Bhartiya Bhashas (native Indian languages) and promote the vibrancy of language learning, it is equally committed to ensuring that the process of learning and growth remains balanced,” CBSE said in a press statement on Monday (June 29, 2026).
The introduction of a third language (R3) at the secondary level (grades 9 and 10) is an extension of language education from the secondary level (grades 6 to 8).
In pursuance of the above objectives, it is considered necessary to issue guidelines regarding the implementation of language policy in CBSE affiliated schools with effect from the academic session 2026-27.
CBSE reiterated that there will be no change for students who are in Class 10 during 2026-27 and they will continue with the old dual language system. No third language is required for this dose.
Each student in the 9th grade would study three languages. Of these three languages, at least two would be Bhartiya Bhashas. Examples of Bhartiya Bhashas: Hindi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Bengali, Punjabi, Gujarati, Odia, Assamese etc.
Examples of non-native languages are English, French, German, Arabic, Spanish, etc. The following situations will help clarify any doubts in the minds of class 9 students, CBSE said.
Situation 1: You are already studying two Bhartiya Bhashas. Example: Hindi + Tamil
As a third language you can choose:
Another recruitment language
OR
A non-native language such as English or French.
Situation 2: You study one Bhartiya Bhasha and one non-native language
Example: Tamil + English
You can choose any Bhartiya Bhasha as third language (R3).
Situation 3: You study two foreign languages
Example: English + French
As a special one-time relaxation for students who are already in Class 9 during 2026-27, you can continue with these two foreign languages and need to add one Bhartiya Bhasha as your third language (R3).
For Year 9, the third language (R3) will only be assessed by your school through internal school assessment. When this batch advances to Class 10 in 2027-28, there will be no CBSE board exam for this third language, CBSE said.
CBSE and NCERT will provide grade-appropriate study resources to help students learn a third language, a press release said.
“For students who are in class 7 or 8 in 2026-27, when you reach class 9 and 10, you will continue to study three languages, two of which are Bhartiya Bhashas,” the report said.
There is a relaxation for the current batch of class 7 (2026-27) and class 8 (2026-27), students who have already selected and started studying two foreign languages have to study one more Bhartiya Bhasha and continue the same till class 10.
“The third language (R3) will be evaluated by the school only through internal school evaluation. When these groups advance to class X, there will be no CBSE Board exam for this third language.”
For class 6 out of three languages, two would be Bhartiya Bhashas for this batch and onwards. When this batch and subsequent batches of class 6 advance to class 10, they have to pass the R3 exam as stated by CBSE.
“Dedicated R3 textbooks for Class 6 in 22 scheduled Bhartiya Bhashas are available at www.ncert.nic.in,” CBSE said.
The following categories are exempt from the three-language principle:
For Children with Special Needs (CwSN): Concessions and exemptions from the mandatory third language requirement are provided in accordance with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act 2016.
For Schools Outside India: Full exemption from mother Indian language as a third language (R3) is provided to all CBSE schools outside India.
Foreign students returning to India are also exempted from studying their mother Indian language as a third language (R3), CBSE said.
In the event that parents/guardians migrate to another state, the student may continue with the existing language combination they have chosen as R3 at secondary level also in grade 9. In such cases, schools must provide sufficient resources to support the student’s choice.
“Flexible staffing arrangements have been provided. Schools must engage existing teachers (with functional knowledge), retired teachers, post-graduate students or use Sahodaya (inter-school sharing) clusters and virtual/hybrid learning,” CBSE said.
“The Board has taken actions to promote positive learning experiences for students that include innovative and joyful learning resources, focus on conceptual clarity rather than rote learning, and maintain continuous assessment practices that include testing reforms. The Board reiterates that these implementation guidelines have been issued to be consistent with NEP 2020 while protecting student interests.”
No student may be disadvantaged as a result of this alignment. We focus on joyful and meaningful language learning, not testing. CBSE will endeavor to provide schools in the best possible way, through additional teaching resources (as needed) and capacity building in the implementation of NEP 2020. Schools are requested to positively communicate these provisions to teachers, students and parents and emphasize the long-term benefits of multilingualism and cultural immersion,” CBSE said.