The Supreme Court of India on Wednesday issued notices to the Centre and the National Council of Educational Research and Training on a plea challenging the policy requiring Class 9 students affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education to study three languages.
The petition has raised concerns over the implementation of the three-language formula and questioned whether making three languages compulsory for students at the secondary level places an excessive academic burden on children.
A bench of the Supreme Court sought responses from the Union Government, NCERT and other concerned authorities regarding the plea and agreed to examine the constitutional and educational issues raised in the matter.
The challenge comes amid continuing national debates over language policy in education under the National Education Policy (NEP) framework and implementation of multilingual education across schools.
According to the plea, the mandatory three-language requirement allegedly affects students studying in different linguistic and regional backgrounds and may create practical difficulties for many families and schools.
The petition reportedly argues that the policy could disproportionately impact students who frequently relocate across states, children from non-Hindi-speaking regions and those already managing heavy academic workloads in higher classes.
The CBSE’s three-language framework has been part of broader education policy discussions for years and gained renewed attention after the rollout of reforms linked to the National Education Policy 2020.
The NEP encourages multilingual learning and recommends that students learn three languages during school education, with flexibility for states and institutions in implementation. However, language policy has remained politically and socially sensitive in several parts of India, especially in southern states where concerns over linguistic identity and language imposition have repeatedly surfaced.
Over the years, Tamil Nadu and some other states have strongly opposed compulsory three-language systems and have traditionally followed a two-language policy in state-run schools.
Education experts remain divided on the issue. Supporters of multilingual education argue that learning multiple languages improves cognitive development, communication skills and national integration. Critics, however, have raised concerns regarding increased academic pressure, uneven implementation and lack of trained teachers in many schools.
The Supreme Court’s notice now places the matter under judicial scrutiny and could potentially influence future implementation of language policies in CBSE-affiliated institutions across the country.
Neither CBSE nor NCERT had issued a detailed public response immediately after the court proceedings on Wednesday.
The matter is expected to come up for further hearing after responses are filed before the apex court.