CBSE revises tri-language policy after legal challenge: Are there any changes for current 9th and 10th students? | Today’s news
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Monday issued revised guidelines to implement its tri-language policy, exempting the current batch of Class 10 students from the requirement to study three languages.
In a one-time relaxation for the current batch of Class 9, the board said students will still have to study three languages but will be allowed to choose two foreign languages along with one Indian language.
The revised guidelines come more than a month after the CBSE made it compulsory for Class 9 students to study three languages, including at least two Indian languages, from July 1.
The move follows legal challenges by several students and parents who went to court against the board’s earlier directive.
CBSE Director Academics Pragya M Singh said, “The current Class 10 batch will not have to follow the three-language policy. The current Class 7-9 batch will not have to take exams in a third language when they advance to Class 10.”
“As a one-time relaxation, students who are already in Class 9 during 2026-27 can continue with two non-mother (foreign) languages and need to add one Indian language as a third language,” she further said.
Under the revised language policy, all students of class 9 will be required to study three languages, at least two of which will be Indian languages (Bhartiya Bhashas).
The board said that the Bhartiya Bhashas include languages such as Hindi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Bengali, Punjabi, Gujarati, Odia and Assamese, among others. Foreign languages covered by this policy include English, French, German, Arabic and Spanish.
In April, the CBSE announced that it would introduce the tri-language formula gradually from Class 6 and introduce a two-tier system for Mathematics and Science for Class 9 starting from the 2026-27 academic session.
Under the proposed framework, both mathematics and science will be offered at two levels – a compulsory standard course and an optional advanced course.
All students pass a common exam for 80 points. Those who choose the advanced level will also have the opportunity to sit an additional paper designed to assess deeper conceptual understanding and higher order thinking skills.
The CBSE said the first Class 10 board examinations under the new two-tier system for Mathematics and Science, comprising Standard and Advanced levels, will be held in 2028 for students entering Class 9 in the 2026-27 academic session.
However, on 15 May, the commission clarified that students can choose a foreign language only as a third language after studying two Indian languages, or as an additional fourth language.
CBSE announces 99.7% revaluation results after verification
Meanwhile, the CBSE said on Sunday that it has declared the results of over 99.7% of the mark verification and revaluation applications received for the Class 12 board examination. The board added that the remaining revaluation results will be announced soon.
CBSE noted that in 2025, the process of declaring the revaluation result started on June 27 and was completed on July 11.
