‘Don’t start new language in class 9’: SC says Centre, cites Board exam stress | Today’s news
The Supreme Court on Thursday urged the Center and education boards not to make third language compulsory from Class 9, with Justice BV Nagarathna noting that students are already under academic pressure as they prepare for board exams, while suggesting that any other language be introduced from Class 6 instead.
“Third language should end in class 9, not start in class 9,” Justice Nagarathna said while hearing a case related to the establishment of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) in Tamil Nadu.
Addressing the Union government, the judge said, “Please tell the Union of India not to do this. Why introduce a third language in class 9? This is stressful. Why not in class 6?”
The apex court’s observations came during the hearing of the Tamil Nadu government’s appeal against a 2017 Madras High Court judgment that had ordered the state to facilitate the setting up of JNVs in every district. The state has consistently opposed the scheme, arguing that the trilingual formula used in Navodaya schools is incompatible with Tamil Nadu’s long-standing bilingual policy.
Read also | CBSE mandates 3-language in classes 9-10, says no board exam for third language
SC Questions 9th Class Introduction
Although the constitutional validity of the three-language policy was not considered, the hearing turned to the stage where a third language should be introduced in schools.
When the counsel for Tamil Nadu said that the third language becomes compulsory only from class 9 onwards, Justice Nagarathna said that introducing a new language at this stage was an unnecessary burden on students.
Drawing on her own schooling, the judge recalled that students at her school began learning a third language in middle school, giving them plenty of time to acquire professional knowledge before high school.
“The third language started in high school… The sooner the better,” she noted.
Recalling her academic experience in the 1970s, Justice Nagarathna said students were introduced to Class 10 concepts as early as Class 8 because of the rigorous board exams.
“And that was in 1976. You can imagine the pressure that would be on kids now,” she said, noting that the stress of the 10th-grade exams starts long before students enter high school.
Read also | Hindi ‘compulsory’ as third language in Maharashtra schools
Revised CBSE implementation
The observations come weeks after the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) revised its implementation of the three-language policy amid widespread objections from schools, parents and students.
In a circular issued on May 15, CBSE directed affiliated schools to make the third language compulsory for Class 9 students from July 1, 2026, though its revised scheme envisaged a phase-in from Class 6 onwards. Schools have also been asked to temporarily use Year 6 textbooks until special teaching materials are available.
After criticism for the sudden implementation, the council announced the one-time release on 29 June. This allowed the current batch of 9th graders, as well as 7th and 8th graders who had already opted for two non-native languages, to continue their existing language mix with the addition of one Indian language. The board also clarified that for this batch, the third language will be assessed only internally and will not form part of the Class 10 board examination, The Hindustan Times reported.
The May 15 CBSE circular is being separately challenged in another bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, which is expected to hear the matter next week.
Hindi is not compulsory, says court
During Thursday’s hearing, Justice Nagarathna also rejected the argument that the trilingual formula mandated Hindi.
“The state language has to be taught, English and any third language has to be taught. It’s not called Hindi,” she noted.
As Tamil Nadu reiterated its concern over the imposition of Hindi, the bench asked if there would be any objection if students opted for Sanskrit instead.
“You don’t want Hindi, but if it’s Sanskrit, what’s the point?” Justice Nagarathna asked.
The case of Navodaya schools
The judge also advised the Tamil Nadu government not to reject centrally sponsored educational programs just because they came from the Union government.
The court also advised Tamil Nadu not to deny students the opportunity to study in Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas.
Senior advocate Haripriya Padmanabhan, appearing for Tamil Nadu, informed the court that the new TVK-led government had consulted stakeholders in line with the Supreme Court’s December 2025 directive to identify land for Navodaya schools in each district.
The bench referred the matter for further hearing on August 11.
