CBSE Tells The Supreme Court 47% Of Affiliated Schools Already Offer Two Or More Indian Languages: Report

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has informed the Supreme Court that 47.3% of its 28,848 affiliated schools already offer two or more Indian languages to Class 9 students, making them compliant with the three-language policy without requiring additional teachers, The Indian Express reported.

According to the report, CBSE submitted the figures in a counter affidavit, along with separate affidavits from the Ministry of Education and NCERT, in response to petitions challenging the Board's three-language policy. The matter is scheduled to be heard by the Supreme Court on July 14.

As per The Indian Express report, CBSE also stated that 99.19% of its affiliated schools have at least one Indian-language teacher. The Board said it has allowed flexible staffing arrangements as an interim measure to help schools build teaching capacity in different Indian languages.

Petitions challenge language policy

As per the report, the petitions, filed by parents from Delhi, Gurugram, Noida and Chennai, along with foreign-language teachers, challenge CBSE's May 15 circular, which made three languages compulsory for Class 9 students from July 1, 2026.

The petitioners have argued that the decision is arbitrary and unconstitutional, alleging it reversed an earlier CBSE notification issued in April that had deferred the implementation of the third-language requirement until the 2029–30 academic session.

According to The Indian Express, the petition also claims schools are being asked to implement the policy without adequate textbooks, trained teachers or a board assessment framework.

CBSE responds to concerns

In its affidavit, CBSE argued that the concerns raised in the petitions have been addressed through its June 29 implementation guidelines and July 10 clarification circular, making the main reliefs sought by the petitioners unnecessary.

The Board also rejected claims that foreign languages are being removed from schools. As reported by The Indian Express, CBSE clarified that there is no prohibition on studying foreign languages.

Students may continue to study a foreign language either as one of the three languages, where permitted, or as an additional fourth language under the revised framework.

NCERT textbook preparation update

Separately, NCERT informed the Supreme Court that it has undertaken the preparation, review and dissemination of textbooks in 22 Scheduled Languages.

It also stated that the Ministry of Education has constituted a High-Powered Task Force, in coordination with CBSE, NIOS and academic experts, to expedite the development of Class 9 textbooks required during the transition phase, according to The Indian Express.

Published on: Tuesday, July 14, 2026, 10:42 AM IST