Story perspectives

Supreme Court Backs Mandatory Three-Language Framework From 2027

By Drooid · Sep 20, 2026, 10:03 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

The Supreme Court suggested making the revised three-language framework mandatory for Class 6 from January 2027.
CBSE told the Court it cannot grant a one-time exemption for current Class 6 students.
CBSE said 93.3% of 20,777 schools have teachers for at least two indigenous languages.
CBSE noted textbooks for third language are online for 98.36% of schools via NCERT.
A committee chaired by Bhagwati Prasad Kalal was formed on September 16 to monitor implementation.

History

Historical Context

The 1976 42nd Constitutional Amendment, adding Article 350A to guarantee education in a child's mother tongue, fundamentally reshaped India's language policy. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's government allocated 2% of the 1976 national plan, affecting roughly 1.2 million primary schools across the country, many later adopting NCERT textbooks. Today, the Supreme Court urges CBSE to make a revised three-language framework mandatory for Class 6 from January 2027, echoing Article 350A’s intent. This continuity signals that language policy remains contested, prompting monitoring committees such as Bhagwati Prasad Kalal’s to enforce compliance and shape future curricula nationwide.

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Story summary

The Supreme Court suggested making the revised three-language framework mandatory for Class 6 from January 2027.
CBSE told the Court it cannot grant a one-time exemption for current Class 6 students.
CBSE said 93.3% of 20,777 schools have teachers for at least two indigenous languages.
CBSE noted textbooks for third language are online for 98.36% of schools via NCERT.
A committee chaired by Bhagwati Prasad Kalal was formed on September 16 to monitor implementation.

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