A petition has been filed before the Supreme Court challenging the Central Board of Secondary Education's (CBSE) new policy mandating learning of three languages for class 9 students [Yashica Bhandari Jain & Ors. v Unin of India & Ors.].The petition moved by parents of children and some teachers from New Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida and Chennai was mentioned by Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi before a Bench comprising of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Vipul M Pancholi.Rohatgi argued that the sudden requirement to study two additional languages in class 9 will disrupt preparation for class 10 board exams and would place an unreasonable burden on students. "How can suddenly learn it and appear in 10th. This will create chaos," submitted Rohatgi..Taking note of the submissions, the Bench said the Court would list the matter for hearing next week."We will list it next week," CJI Kant said..The policy under challenge stems from a recent CBSE circular issued on May 15 aligning its “Scheme of Studies” with the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023.Under the revised framework, students entering Class 9 from July 1, 2026 will be required to study three languages, of which at least two must be Indian languages. A foreign language may be chosen only if the other two are Indian, or taken as an additional fourth subject..As per the petition, this marks a sharp departure from CBSE’s April 9, 2026 notification, which had deferred the third language requirement (R3) at the class 9 level until 2029–30.Traditionally, CBSE students studied two languages up to Class 10. These languages were typically English and a second language (such as Hindi or a regional language). .The petition challenges the timing, implementation and practical consequences of the circular, arguing that it imposes a sudden academic burden, lacks infrastructural support, and results in discriminatory outcomes..Highlighting the academic impact, the petition states,"The Impugned Circular imposed an acute additional burden upon Class IX students already engaged in demanding academic preparation for the Class X Board Examinations.".It further alleges that the manner of implementation undermines the academic goals cited by the Board."The stated objective by the CBSE, of "joyful, meaningful language learning" is directly and self-evidently contradicted by a mid-session disruption that the CBSE acknowledged was causing "a sense of restlessness" among stakeholders," noted the plea..On the question of academic feasibility, the petition points to the absence of adequate materials and teaching capacity.As per the plea,"By directing Class IX students to use Class VI textbooks as the primary pedagogical resource, the Circular does not advance language proficiency but institutionalises pedagogic inadequacy.".The plea also raises concerns of unequal impact across regions, particularly for students in non-Hindi-speaking States..The petition also flags uncertainty around the class X Board examination system, noting that the circular provides no clear, standardised assessment framework for the newly introduced third language. The CBSE has indicated that no student will be barred from appearing in Board examinations due to the added language and that its evaluation may remain internal. However, the plea argues that this creates a contradictory situation where the subject is made compulsory without attaching formal Board-level accountability..The mentioning was made by Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi. The plea was filed through advocate Shraddha Deshmukh, along with advocates Charanya Lakshmikumaran, Sarthak Gupta and Kaustubh Khanna..[Read Live Coverage]
