New Delhi: In a circular issued on May 15, the CBSE announced that students entering Class IX from the 2026–27 academic year onwards must study three languages, referred to as R1, R2, and R3, with at least two of them being native Indian languages.
The move has been introduced as part of the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023.
The Board clarified that although the third language (R3) will remain mandatory, it will not carry a separate Board examination at the Class X level. Instead, all assessments for R3 will be conducted internally by schools.
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According to the CBSE, the performance of students in the third language will still be reflected in their final CBSE certificates. The Board also assured that no student would be prevented from appearing for the Class X Board examinations because of the third language requirement.
The circular further stated that schools may offer any language from the CBSE-approved subject list, provided that at least two of the three selected languages are native Indian languages. Foreign languages can only be chosen as the third language if the other two languages are Indian, or they may be offered as an optional fourth language.
As part of the transition process, Class IX students will temporarily use Class VI-level textbooks for the third language until specialised secondary-stage textbooks are introduced. Schools have also been encouraged to include local and regional literary content to strengthen language learning.
Addressing concerns over staffing, the CBSE said schools facing shortages of qualified language teachers may adopt temporary measures such as inter-school resource sharing, virtual teaching support, or hiring retired teachers and qualified postgraduate educators.
The Board also announced special relaxations for Children with Special Needs (CwSN), schools located outside India, and foreign students returning to India, with provisions to be considered on a case-by-case basis.
