New Delhi: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) clarified on Monday that the current Class 10 batch (2026-27) will continue under the existing two-language scheme and will not have to adopt the revised language policy.
Students currently studying in Classes 7, 8 and 9 will also not be required to appear for a Class 10 board examination in the third language when they move to the secondary stage, it has said in the guidelines issued during the day.
This decision was taken after the Board realised that its new three-language policy is creating confusion among schools, students and parents.
There are continued concerns over implementation of the revised language framework announced earlier this year under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023.
There would be “no change” for students currently studying in Class 10 during the 2026-27 academic session, the CBSE has said in its fresh guidelines.
“It is reiterated that there will be no change for students who are in Class X during 2026-27, and they will continue with the old system of two languages,” the Board said.
“No third language is required to be taken by this batch,” it further clarified, as reported by Deccan Herald.
Whether students already midway through their school sessions would be forced to change their language combinations, was one of the major concerns raised by schools after the CBSE’s earlier circular.
The Board has also announced a one-time relaxation for students who had already opted for two foreign languages under the earlier system.
Such students may continue studying those two foreign languages and only need to add one Bharatiya Bhasha (Indian language) as their third language (R3), it has been said in the guidelines.
“Students already studying two Indian languages, such as Hindi and Tamil, may choose either another Indian language or a non-native language such as English or French as their third language,” the guidelines state.
“Those studying one Indian language and one non-native language, such as Tamil and English, will be required to choose another Indian language as their third language (R3),” it says.
“Students who are already studying two non-native languages, such as English and French, have been granted a one-time relaxation. They may continue with those two languages and add one Indian language as their third language (R3),” it has been clarified.
Under NEP 2020, students will study three languages, with at least two being Indian languages, the CBSE said. It also clarified that a non-native language may be chosen as the third language only if the other two languages are Indian languages.
The Board emphasised that the objective is not merely to increase the number of language subjects but to make language learning “meaningful, engaging and enriching” while contributing to students’ holistic development.
CBSE chairperson Rahul Singh announced a revised three-language framework based on three proficiency levels: R1, R2 and R3 on April 2 this year. Under the system, students will study three languages till Class 10 at different proficiency levels R1 being the most advanced and R3 focusing on foundational understanding.
The rollout was initially planned only for Class 6 from the 2026–27 academic year, gradually extending till 2031. However, on May 15, the CBSE expanded the implementation to Class 9 students as well from the current academic session. The Board had earlier said that students may study a foreign language only if the other two languages are native Indian languages, or alternatively as an additional fourth language.
The CBSE has assured schools that grade-appropriate learning material for the new language framework will be made available in a time-bound manner.
