Former Maharashtra Minister challenges CBSE's mandatory three-language rule for Class 9 students in Supreme Court
Fauzia Khan, an educationist and former Maharashtra Minister, has filed a plea in the Supreme Court challenging CBSE's May 15 circular that mandates three languages—including at least two native Indian languages—for Class 9 students starting July 1, 2026. Khan argues the policy is arbitrary, acknowledges teacher shortages, and effectively forces non-Hindi states to introduce Hindi or Sanskrit without educational justification, violating the National Education Policy 2020. The case is significant as it questions the implementation of the NEP 2020 and could affect how India's education system balances linguistic diversity with practical constraints.
The Supreme Court has received a fresh challenge to CBSE's three-language mandate for Class 9 students beginning July 1, 2026, filed by Fauzia Khan, an educationist and former Maharashtra Minister from the NCP-SCP party. Khan's plea contends that the CBSE's May 15 circular is arbitrary and unreasonable, particularly because the board's own text acknowledges significant teacher shortages yet proceeds with the mandate. The core argument is that the policy effectively forces non-Hindi speaking southern states to introduce Hindi and northern states to introduce Sanskrit without any stated educational rationale, thereby violating the National Education Policy 2020. Under the new rule, students must study three languages with at least two being native Indian languages, while foreign languages can only be studied as a third or fourth language option. The CBSE has clarified that no board examination will be conducted for the third language at Class 10, with all assessments being school-based and internal, and no student will be barred from Class X board exams due to the third language requirement.
What's missing
The plea does not provide details on the specific number of states or schools affected by teacher shortages, nor does it specify which states would be forced to introduce which languages under the new policy. Additionally, the response or position of the CBSE or Ministry of Education to these specific allegations is not included.
What different sources said
- The HinduCenter
Former Maharashtra Minister files plea in Supreme Court against CBSE's three-language rule for Class 9 students
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