Supreme Court to Hear Plea Next Week Challenging CBSE’s Mandatory Three Language Rule for Class 9
Petitioners Raise Concerns Over New Academic Policy
NEW DELHI, May 22: The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear next week a public interest litigation challenging the new policy of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) that makes the study of three languages compulsory for Class 9 students from July 1.
The matter was mentioned before a bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the petitioners, informed the court that students, parents and teachers have jointly challenged the revised language policy introduced by the Central Board of Secondary Education.
According to the plea, the revised framework requires students entering Class 9 to study three languages, including at least two Indian native languages, beginning from the upcoming academic session.
Concern Over Academic Burden
During the hearing, Rohatgi described the issue as urgent and sought an early listing of the matter, arguing that implementation of the policy could create confusion among schools and students.
He submitted before the bench that the sudden introduction of additional language requirements may place an extra academic burden on students and lead to administrative difficulties for educational institutions.
The counsel also requested the apex court to hear the matter on Monday, stressing that schools are already preparing for the implementation scheduled from July 1.
Court Assures Early Hearing
Responding to the request, the Chief Justice observed that the coming week has been designated as a miscellaneous hearing week and assured that the petition would be listed for consideration.
The new language policy was announced through a recent CBSE circular aimed at promoting multilingual education and increasing the use of Indian languages in schools affiliated with the board.
The development has triggered debate among parents, educators and academic groups over the practicality and impact of the mandatory language structure at the secondary education level.
