CBSE issues fresh 3-language policy guidelines (Img: Pexels)
New Delhi: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has issued fresh guidelines for implementing the three-language policy under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, clarifying how the revised framework will apply to students from Classes VI to X. The updated norms introduce a phased transition while offering relief to current Class X students.
Under the revised policy, students will study three languages, with at least two being Indian languages. The third language may be another Indian language or a foreign language such as English, French, German, Spanish or Arabic.
Students studying in Class X during the 2026-27 academic session will continue under the existing two-language system. They will not be required to study a third language or appear for any additional language examination.
Students entering Class IX in 2026-27 must study three languages. Those already learning two foreign languages can continue doing so but will have to add one Indian language. The third language will be assessed only at the school level, and there will be no CBSE board examination for it in Class X.
Students joining Class VI in the 2026-27 academic year will become the first batch to fully follow the revised policy. They will study three languages throughout secondary school and appear for a board examination in the third language when they reach Class X.
The policy provides exemptions for Children with Special Needs (CWSN), CBSE-affiliated schools outside India and certain foreign students. Schools have also been allowed to use existing teachers, retired educators, shared faculty and digital learning platforms to implement the new language framework smoothly.
The revised guidelines replace the earlier phased rollout plan and seek to ensure a more structured implementation of the three-language policy across CBSE schools.
