New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to grant interim relief on a petition challenging the implementation of the Central Board of Secondary Education’s (CBSE) revised three-language policy, which mandates Class IX students to study three languages, including two Indian languages, from the 2026-27 academic session beginning July 1.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice V. Mohana made it clear that no interim protection would be granted at this stage. “We cannot pass a single-line order today. This matter was argued at length. There is no question of interim protection,” the Bench observed while hearing submissions from the petitioner, the NGO Friends of People for Active Democracy.
The court directed that the petition be tagged with similar pleas and listed the matter for hearing on July 14.
During the proceedings, counsel for the NGO argued that the challenge was not against the three-language policy itself but against its immediate implementation. The petitioner contended that CBSE was expected to issue detailed operational guidelines by June 15 and that schools, students and parents were facing uncertainty due to the abrupt rollout.
At one point, Chief Justice Kant questioned the name of the NGO, asking whether Friends of People for Active Democracy was intended to create fear among the public or the judiciary. The counsel responded that it was merely the registered name of a trust established in 2013.
The matter stems from a public interest litigation against CBSE’s May 15 circular, which made the study of three languages compulsory for Class IX students from the upcoming academic year. The petitioners have sought the cancellation of the circular and restoration of CBSE’s earlier April 9 notification, which had deferred mandatory implementation of the policy until the 2029-30 academic session.
The Supreme Court had earlier, on May 27, issued notices to the Centre, CBSE and the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), seeking comprehensive responses. The court had also directed Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati to submit a report detailing the board’s preparedness for implementing the policy.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the petitioners, had argued that the sudden implementation of the policy had created practical difficulties, noting that textbooks for the additional language requirement were not yet available.
The revised policy aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which promotes multilingual education through the three-language formula. Under the new framework, Class IX students will be required to study three languages, including at least two Indian languages, with schools and states retaining flexibility in selecting the languages offered.
The petitioners have maintained that the decision was arbitrary and disruptive, as academic planning for the year had already been completed based on CBSE’s earlier assurance that implementation would be deferred.
