The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to extend the exemption from its three-language policy to students currently in Class 6, placing them on par with students in Classes 7 and 8. The order was passed by a bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, with justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana. The court emphasized that students in Class 6 should have the same 'comfort' as those in Classes 7, 8, and 9, as the academic session had already begun in April.

The CBSE, represented by solicitor general Tushar Mehta, informed the court that the policy has been adopted by nearly 99% of its 28,000 schools, with only 1.2% facing implementation difficulties. Mehta stated that the policy was intended to start with Class 6 under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023. Exempting the current batch would mean students enter Classes 7 and 8 without the learning exposure and continuity outlined in the revised framework.

The court clarified that the exemption was not an interdict on the CBSE scheme but a 'soft launch' to allow students to adjust to the change. It directed that the policy be implemented from April 2027, by which time books and teachers would be available. The bench also proposed the formation of a committee of experts to assist schools facing implementation challenges.

Petitioners, represented by senior advocates Gopal Sankaranarayanan and Anand Grover, argued that the issue concerns the future of nearly 300,000 students and that the burden on students should be reduced. They highlighted that some textbooks for Indian languages are still not available, and physical copies of Class 9 textbooks are awaited, which could impede students in rural areas. The court, however, noted that students adapted to online learning during the pandemic and are equipped to handle digital resources.

The CBSE informed the court that textbooks for the third language in all 22 scheduled Indian languages are available on the NCERT website, covering over 98% of schools. For the remaining languages, SCERT textbooks and resources would be used. On teacher availability, the CBSE stated that 93.3% of schools have teachers for at least two indigenous languages, with 3,523 schools having teachers for three or more such languages. A five-member committee was also constituted to monitor the implementation of the three-language framework in Classes 6 to 10.

What remains unknown is the exact impact of the exemption on the academic continuity for Class 6 students and whether the proposed implementation timeline will address the concerns of schools and students. The court’s directive to implement the policy from April 2027 may provide a buffer for schools to prepare, but the effectiveness of this approach remains to be seen.