Digvijaya Singh urges PM Modi to halt mid-session rollout of CBSE 3-language policy

New Delhi: Veteran Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Sunday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, conveying concerns raised by parents regarding the mandatory implementation of the three-language policy for CBSE Class 9 students during the ongoing academic session and urging the Centre to reconsider its immediate rollout.

In his letter to the Prime Minister, Singh said he was forwarding a representation submitted by a group of concerned parents of CBSE Class IX students who have objected to the compulsory implementation of the policy in the middle of the academic year.

“The representation has been duly signed by the parents and is enclosed for your kind perusal,” Singh stated in the letter.

After examining the concerns highlighted by the parents, the Congress veteran said the issues raised appeared legitimate and required immediate intervention from the government.

“The sudden enforcement of this policy mid-session — without adequate teachers, textbooks, or transition time — is likely to create serious disruption, not unlike the chaos witnessed during the hasty implementation of CBSE’s On-Screen Marking (OSM) system, which adversely impacted lakhs of students across the country,” Singh wrote.

He further pointed to what he described as an inconsistency between earlier decisions taken by the CBSE and the recent directive issued for the implementation of the third language requirement.

According to Singh, during a meeting held in December 2025, the CBSE Governing Body had approved the Curriculum Committee’s recommendation that “schools continue with the existing Scheme of Studies, especially with regards to language until the release of graded textbooks of languages by NCERT.”

“Despite its own Governing Body’s decision, the CBSE issued a circular on May 15, 2026, asking for the implementation of 3rd language instruction in Grade IX from July 1, 2026,” Singh noted.

He added that NCERT has not yet released the required graded language textbooks and that CBSE has instead suggested the use of NCERT’s Grade 6 language books.

Questioning the rationale behind the move, Singh said, “It is not clear how and why the CBSE has so evidently overturned its Governing Body’s decision, and in a way that threatens the academic planning of thousands of schools across the country.”

The Congress leader also highlighted the challenges that could arise in regions where Hindi is not widely spoken. He argued that students in southern and northeastern states could face particular difficulties, especially where local tribal languages are not included in CBSE’s recognised list of languages.

“Sanskrit has emerged as a popular third-language choice for many schools, but it should also be noted that there is a severe shortage of qualified Sanskrit teachers and appropriate textbooks — a situation that would defeat the very purpose of promoting this beautiful language,” Singh observed.

Calling for immediate relief for the current batch of students, Singh urged the Prime Minister to defer implementation of the policy until adequate preparations are in place.

“Rising above all other considerations, my respectful recommendation is that the implementation of this policy for current Class IX students be put on hold immediately,” he wrote.

Referring to the ongoing legal proceedings related to the issue, Singh noted that while the matter is currently before the court, the expected verdict is scheduled after the date by which schools have been directed to begin implementing the third-language instruction.

“Therefore, I earnestly hope that the matter will receive your urgent and sympathetic consideration in the interest of the millions of students whose academic futures depend on sound and well-prepared policy decisions,” Singh added.

This is the second letter written by Singh to PM Modi this week. In his letter, the Congress leader requested the Prime Minister to release a comprehensive ‘White Paper’ on paper leaks and irregularities in National Testing Agency (NTA)-conducted examinations.

Singh, who is the Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports, noted that the absence of consolidated public records on past cases has deepened uncertainty and mental stress among aspirants.

IANS