The Supreme Court of India has announced its readiness to intervene should any punitive measures be taken against teachers for not adhering to the Central Board of Secondary Education’s (CBSE) three-language policy for Class IX students. A bench consisting of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V Mohana made this declaration on Tuesday, while instructing CBSE to respond to a petition challenging the policy due to a scarcity of necessary textbooks and its abrupt implementation.
During the proceedings, CJI Kant assured, “Come to us, we will stay those dismissals,” in response to concerns that teachers might face repercussions for not teaching the mandated languages. Justice Bagchi remarked on the significance of learning native languages, emphasizing, “Native Indian language may be seen as Indian indigenous language also. The notification is carrying ahead the constitutional goal of learning Hindi and other Indian languages.” He also questioned whether English could be considered an indigenous language in India.
Previously, in May, the Court had sought responses from the Union Government, CBSE, and the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) regarding a similar petition against the CBSE circular. This circular mandates students from Class 6 to Class 9 to study three languages, with at least two being regional languages, aligning with the National Education Policy 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023.
The petitioners, which include parents and teachers from across India, argue that the abrupt enforcement of this policy adds an undue academic burden mid-session. They claim it disrupts preparation for Class X board examinations and that there is insufficient infrastructure, such as trained teachers and textbooks, to support this transition. Concerns have also been raised about unequal regional impacts and unclear evaluation criteria for the additional language.
Senior Advocate Anand Grover contended that the circular contravenes the Right to Education Act by imposing languages without viable alternatives. Additionally, Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan pointed out the shortage of books and qualified teachers, stating, “We are here for class 6 and 9 students… only books of 3 out of 22 languages are available.”
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Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi also voiced concerns, questioning the practicality of suddenly requiring a 14-year-old Class 9 student studying English and French to learn a new language like Tamil without the necessary infrastructure and teaching resources. The Court has issued a notice to CBSE, and Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Aishwarya Bhati assured that a response would be filed within two weeks. The Court scheduled the next hearing for July 22.
