The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has released detailed implementation guidelines for the three-language policy in its affiliated schools, effective from the academic session 2026–27. Issued in alignment with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the circular brings clarity on how Indian languages will be taught across classes while ensuring that no student currently in the system is caught off guard by an abrupt change.
The fresh guidelines come more than a month after the CBSE announced that studying three languages, including at least two native Indian languages, has been made compulsory for Class 9 students beginning July 1. Since then, several students and parents had approached the court against the CBSE order.
The three-language policy makes study of at least two languages, one of which must be Bhartiya Bhashas (native Indian languages) mandatory. These include Hindi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Bengali, Punjabi, Gujarati, Odia, Assamese, and others listed in the Indian Constitution’s Eighth Schedule.
A non-native language — such as English, French, German, Arabic, or Spanish — may be opted for as the third language (R3), but only if the other two are already Bhartiya Bhashas. For instance, a student cannot study, say, English and French and call it done; there should be at least one additional Indian language.
What do the guidelines say about implementation?
Class 10 — No change
The existing Class 10 batch will continue under the old two-language system and is not required to study or be examined in a third language. CBSE has reiterated this clearly to prevent any confusion or unnecessary anxiety among students preparing for their board examinations.
Class 9 — Three Languages
Class 9 students will now study three languages, with at least two being Bhartiya Bhashas. However, CBSE has laid out situation-specific clarity:
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| Situation | Current Languages | What to Do |
|---|---|---|
| Situation 1 | Two Bhartiya Bhashas (eg, Hindi and Tamil) | Add any third language — Bhartiya Bhasha or non-native |
| Situation 2 | One Bhartiya Bhasha + one non-native (eg, Tamil and English) | Add any Bhartiya Bhasha as R3 |
| Situation 3 | Two non-native languages (eg, English and French) | Special one-time relaxation, where students can continue both, add one Bhartiya Bhasha as R3 |
Class 9 students should know that the third language (R3) will be assessed through internal school-based assessment only. When this batch progresses to Class 10 in 2027–28, there will be no CBSE Board examination for the third language. CBSE and NCERT will provide grade-appropriate learning resources to support this transition, mentions the Board guidelines.
Class 7 and 8
Class 7 and 8 students will move to three languages when they reach Classes 9 and 10, with two being Bhartiya Bhashas. Those already studying two non-native languages get a relaxation — they can continue both and simply add one Bhartiya Bhasha as the third. The third language will be assessed by the school internally; there will be no CBSE Board exam for it at Class 10.
Class 6
Class 6 students of 2026–27 will be the first batch for whom the three-language policy applies in full, with no transitional relaxation on the two-Bhartiya-Bhasha requirement. When this batch reaches Class 10, they will be required to appear for the CBSE Board examination in R3 — making them the first cohort to be fully assessed under the new policy. NCERT has already prepared dedicated R3 textbooks for Class 6 in 22 scheduled Bhartiya Bhashas, which are available at ncert.nic.in.
Who is exempted?
CBSE has made three categories of general exemptions from the three-language policy:
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1. Children with Special Needs (CwSN): Exemptions and relaxations from the compulsory third language requirement are extended in line with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016.
2. CBSE schools outside India: All CBSE-affiliated schools situated outside India are fully exempt from the requirement of a native Indian language as the third language.
3. Foreign students returning to India: Students who have been studying abroad and are now returning to India are also exempt from the Bhartiya Bhasha requirement as R3.
Additionally, for families or guardians migrating between states, students may continue with the language combination they had already opted for in the middle stage when they move to Class 9, and their new school is required to arrange adequate resources to support those choices.
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CBSE has acknowledged that introducing a third language — particularly lesser-taught Bhartiya Bhashas — may create staffing challenges for schools. To address this, the guidelines provide flexible staffing provisions, permitting schools to utilise existing teachers with functional proficiency in the required language, engage retired teachers or postgraduate language experts, and tap into Sahodaya clusters — inter-school networks where teaching resources are shared across institutions. Schools may also deploy virtual and hybrid teaching models where in-person staffing is not immediately available.