‘No one will be disadvantaged’: CBSE issues policy guidelines in three languages, exempts current Class X students

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has issued detailed guidelines explaining how the third language policy will be implemented for students of different classes under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The Board said the focus will remain on learning languages ​​in a meaningful way and that no student will be disadvantaged by the new system.For students studying in class IX during the academic session 2026-27, the third language (R3) will be assessed through an internal school assessment only. There will be no CBSE Board examination for the third language when these students reach Class X in 2027-28. CBSE and NCERT will also provide grade-appropriate learning resources to help students study the language.The Board has also explained the rules for students who are currently in classes VII and VIII. When these students move on to classes IX and X, they will continue to study three languages, two of them being Bhartiya Bhashas.As a relaxation, students of the current Class VII and Class VIII batches who have already chosen and started studying two non-native languages ​​will only have to add one Bhartiya Bhasha and continue studying it till Class X. Like the current Class IX batch, the third language will be assessed through an internal school assessment, and there will be no CBSE Board exam.For students studying in Class VI during 2026-27 and those joining subsequent batches, two of the three languages ​​must be Bhartiya Bhashas. Unlike the older batches, these students will appear for the Board examination in the third language (R3) when they reach Class X. CBSE said that NCERT makes available Class VI textbooks dedicated to the scheduled 22 Bhartiya Bhashas.The Board has also announced exemptions under the three language policy. Children with Special Needs (CwSN) will continue to get relaxations and exemptions as per the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPWD) Act, 2016. CBSE schools located outside India are fully exempted from offering a native Indian language as a third language. Foreign students returning to India are also exempted from studying a native Indian language as a third language.CBSE has also addressed situations where families move to another state. If parents or guardians migrate, students can continue to study the same third language they had chosen during the middle stage even after reaching class IX. Schools have been asked to provide the necessary resources to support these students.To help schools implement the policy, CBSE has allowed flexible staffing arrangements. Schools can use existing teachers with functional competence, retired teachers, postgraduate teachers, Sahodaya school groups to share teachers and virtual or hybrid teaching methods.The Board said these guidelines have been issued to align school education with the NEP 2020 while protecting the interests of students. He emphasized that the focus is on joyful and meaningful language learning rather than exams. CBSE said it will continue to support schools through learning resources and capacity-building programs and has asked schools to communicate these provisions positively to students, parents and teachers while highlighting the long-term benefits of multilingual learning and cultural embeddedness.