The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to stay the CBSE circular mandating a third language for students of Classes 9 and 10, while issuing notices to the Centre, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), and the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) on a petition challenging the policy.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant took up the matter and said that before any interim relief could be considered, the respondents must first file their replies. The court noted that the issue involves questions of both policy and implementation, and therefore requires detailed consideration.
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During the hearing, Justice Joymalya Bagchi raised concerns regarding the availability of teachers and infrastructure needed to effectively implement the three-language requirement in schools. The judge asked the Additional Solicitor General (ASG) appearing for the Centre whether adequate teaching staff were available and sought a report on infrastructure-related challenges faced by schools.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the petitioner, argued that the concerns raised by students and schools deserved urgent attention and requested that the petitioner’s side also be heard in detail. Responding to this, Chief Justice Surya Kant observed that the court would first need responses from the authorities, while acknowledging that the matter involves “difficulty and inconvenience” for stakeholders.
The Chief Justice also remarked on the wider debate surrounding the policy, noting that opinions differ on the role of a third language in education. While some view it as a step that promotes federalism, national integration, and linguistic diversity, others have expressed reservations over its practical impact on students and schools.
The apex court has now posted the matter for further hearing on July 15 or 16.
The CBSE third language policy requires students of Classes 9 and 10 to study an additional language alongside their existing languages, in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the three-language formula aimed at promoting multilingual learning.
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Lakshima Sareen is a Senior Copy Editor with the Digital Education Desk at Times Now, specialising in education news, exam updates, and policy reporti...View More
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