Supreme Court asks CBSE to exempt Class 6 students from mandatory third language

The Supreme Court has directed that students currently studying in Class 6 under the CBSE board be granted the same exemption from the mandatory three-language policy as students of Classes 7, 8 and 9.

The direction came after parents raised concerns over the sudden change in the language requirement, including the lack of physical textbooks for students affected by the policy. They told the court that the change was affecting students’



education.

The Centre had told the court that it was not inclined to exempt Class 6 students from the policy this year. It also submitted that nearly 99 per cent of CBSE schools had adopted the third-language policy and had the necessary facilities, with only around 1.2 per cent of schools affected.

The court, however, said Class 6 students should have the same “comfort” that had been extended to students of Class 7 and directed that the policy be implemented for them from April 1, 2027.