The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to grant interim relief against the implementation of the Central Board of Secondary Education’s (CBSE) three-language policy, which makes it mandatory for Class IX students to study three languages from the 2026-27 academic session beginning July 1.
A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice V Mohana said it could not pass interim orders at this stage and declined a request to stay the policy's implementation.
“We cannot pass a single-line order today. This matter was argued at length. There is no question of interim protection,” the Bench observed while hearing a petition filed by the NGO Friends of People for Active Democracy.
The court directed that the petition be tagged with similar matters and listed for hearing on July 14.
The petitioners clarified that they were not challenging the CBSE's three-language policy itself but were opposed to its implementation from the upcoming academic year, arguing that schools and students had insufficient time to prepare.
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During the hearing, the Chief Justice also made a light-hearted remark about the name of the NGO, asking whether it was intended to create fear among the public or the court. The petitioner's counsel responded that it was an old trust established in 2013.
On May 27, the apex court had issued notices to the Centre, the Central Board of Secondary Education and the National Council of Educational Research and Training, seeking comprehensive responses to the challenge.
The petitioners have sought the quashing of the CBSE’s May 15 circular, which mandates that Class IX students study three languages, including at least two native Indian languages, from the 2026-27 academic year. They also sought restoration of an earlier April 9 notification that had deferred compulsory implementation until the 2029-30 academic session.
The CBSE's decision is aligned with the National Education Policy 2020, which promotes multilingualism and the three-language formula. Under the revised framework, students entering Class IX will be required to study an additional language beyond the two languages traditionally taught up to Class X.
The petitioners contend that the abrupt change has caused uncertainty for schools, parents and students who had already planned for the academic year based on the earlier policy position.
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