SC flags stress of introducing third language in Class 9, suggests CBSE to begin from Class 6

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday expressed concern over the introduction of a third language at the Class 9 level under the CBSE curriculum, observing that requiring students to begin learning a new language at that stage could place unnecessary stress on those preparing for Board examinations.

A Bench of Justices B.V. Nagarathna and R. Mahadevan made the observations while hearing the Tamil Nadu government’s appeal against a Madras High Court judgment directing it to facilitate the establishment of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) in every district of the state.

Although the validity of the CBSE’s revised three-language policy was not directly under challenge in the proceedings, the issue surfaced during arguments relating to Tamil Nadu’s opposition to JNVs on the ground that the schools follow a three-language framework.

Questioning the rationale behind introducing a new language at the secondary level, the Justice Nagarathna-led Bench remarked: “Don’t have a new language in 9th standard please. In 5th or 6th standard, you can start a third language. And by 9th standard, it should stop, the third language. See the stress they are having. Advise your government. The student in me is still alive!”

When informed that the third language becomes compulsory only from Class 9 in CBSE schools, the top court remarked that such a move would impose avoidable academic pressure.

“No, that is very bad. 9th standard is stressful. Why do you introduce a new language in 9th? You introduce it in 6th,” Justice Nagarathna said, recalling that students during her schooling began learning a third language in middle school itself.

She said students in her school had the option of studying Kannada, Hindi or Sanskrit as the third language, and added that “the earlier, the better” when it comes to language learning.

The apex court judge further observed that students already start preparing for the Class 10 Board examinations from the end of Class 8 and introducing a new language in Class 9 would only add to the burden.

During the hearing, the Tamil Nadu government submitted that its objection related to the three-language policy.

However, the Justice Nagarathna-led Bench observed that the policy did not mandate Hindi as the third language.

“The State language has to be taught, English has to be taught and any third language. It doesn’t say Hindi,” the top court remarked.

It also questioned Tamil Nadu’s continued resistance to the establishment of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas. “You must have Navodaya schools,” the Justice Nagarathna-led Bench observed.

When the Tamil Nadu government’s counsel submitted that discussions with the Centre were still underway, the Supreme Court said the Union government would bear the expenditure for establishing the schools and the state government only needed to provide land.

“The Central government will make all the expenditure. You have to make available only the land. All other States, Navodaya schools are there. Why are you depriving Tamil Nadu? Don’t have this attitude ‘because Navodaya school is by the Union government, why should we have it?’,” the Justice Nagarathna-led Bench remarked.

Taking note of the submission that discussions between the Union and the newly-elected Tamil Nadu government were continuing, the apex court agreed to defer the matter.

“Let them get instructions. A different government is there now. We don’t know what their policy is,” the Justice Nagarathna-led Bench observed.

The matter has been posted for further hearing on August 11. The case concerns the Tamil Nadu government’s challenge to a Madras High Court judgment directing the establishment of a Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in every district of the state.

The Madras High Court had held that the state government’s refusal to permit JNVs curtailed students’ right to choose educational institutions and was inconsistent with the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act.

The Supreme Court had stayed the High Court’s directions in 2017 and, in December 2025, directed the Centre and the state government to hold consultations on the feasibility of establishing JNVs in Tamil Nadu.

Notably, the validity of the CBSE’s revised three-language policy is presently under challenge before a separate Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant.

Earlier this week, the apex court issued notice to the Centre, the CBSE and the NCERT on a fresh batch of petitions challenging the policy but declined to stay its implementation, posting the matter for detailed hearing on July 29.

IANS