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New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday raised serious concerns over the CBSE‘s revised three-language policy for Class 9 students, questioning the rationale behind introducing an additional language at a stage when students already face significant academic pressure.

During the hearing, Justice B.V Nagarathna observed that introducing a third language in Class 9 would only add to students’ stress. She suggested that if a third language is necessary, it should ideally be introduced from Class 6 and discontinued by Class 9, instead of being imposed at a later stage.

The apex court was hearing a batch of petitions challenging the Central Board of Secondary Education’s (CBSE) revised three-language policy. Under the new framework, students in Classes VI to IX from July this year are required to study three languages, with at least two being Indian languages.

The petitions have been filed by parents and schools from Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Chennai and several other regions, who have challenged both the timing and manner of the policy’s implementation.

Petitioners argued that the sudden rollout of the policy has created widespread confusion among schools. They pointed to severe shortages of textbooks, inadequate preparation time and the absence of sufficient infrastructure to implement the revised language curriculum effectively. They contended that these logistical issues have disrupted academic planning and placed unnecessary pressure on students, teachers and schools.

Another key concern raised before the Supreme Court is that students who have been studying foreign languages since Class 5 are now being compelled to discontinue them under the revised policy. According to the petitioners, the move is arbitrary and disruptive, affecting students’ academic continuity and language learning choices.

Earlier, a three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant had also expressed concern over the practical challenges of implementing the three-language policy.

The Bench observed that the Court was more concerned about the logistical and factual difficulties surrounding the policy, particularly the shortage of qualified language teachers and the lack of textbooks required for its implementation.

The Supreme Court subsequently issued notices to the Central Government, the CBSE and the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), seeking their response to the petitions. he Supreme Court will continue hearing the challenge to the CBSE’s revised three-language policy as parents and schools seek relief over its implementation, logistical preparedness and its impact on students’ academic workload.