'Direct contradiction of CBSE governing body's own decision': Jairam Ramesh raises concerns over introducing third language in schools

New Delhi: Calling the mandatory introduction of a third language for Class 9th and 10th students as totally "arbitrary, unplanned", Congress MP Jairam Ramesh on Sunday called on the Central government to withdraw the notification.

While reposting the letter of party leader Digvijay Singh to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Jairam Ramesh called the decision to introduce a third language being in "direction contradiction of the CBSE governing body's own decision and all norms of academic planning."

"The Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education and senior @INCIndia leader @digvijaya_28 has written to the Prime Minister seeking a halt to the arbitrary, unplanned addition of a third language to Grade 9 and 10 CBSE curriculum - in direct contradiction of the CBSE Governing Body's own decision and all norms of academic planning," Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X.


The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has mandated schools to implement the teaching of three languages from July 1, with two native Indian languages to be taught.

"With effect from 1st July 2026, for Class IX, the study of three languages (R1, R2, R3) shall be compulsory, with at least two languages being native Indian languages. Students who wish to study a foreign language may do so as the third language only if the other two languages are native Indian languages, or as an additional fourth language," read the notification issued on May 15.

In order to keep the focus on learning and reduce undue stress on students, no board exams will be conducted for the third language, with all assessments for that subject being entirely school-based and internal, the notification has said.

Earlier today, Congress leader Digvijay Singh wrote to PM Modi to raise concerns over the mandatory implementation of the three-language policy in the current-mid- session. He also urged the Centre to put the policy on hold immediately.

"I am forwarding herewith a representation received from a group of concerned parents of CBSE Class IX students, opposing the mandatory implementation of the three-language policy in the current mid-session," Singh wrote in the letter.

Singh said that it has been brought to his attention that the CBSE's Governing Body, in its meeting in December 2025, had ratified the Curriculum Committee's recommendation that 'schools continue with the existing Scheme of Studies, especially with regards to language until the release of graded textbooks of languages by NCERT.'

According to Singh, the situation is particularly untenable for students in the Southern and North-Eastern States, where Hindi is not spoken and local tribal languages may not feature in CBSE's recognised language list.