Three-language policy case: Centre given more time to mull SC proposal to exempt current Class 6

You don’t have any Active Subscription.

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription

In the previous hearing, the Supreme Court had proposed that the scheme should be mandatory for Class 6 only from January 1, 2027. Representational file image. | Photo Credit: SUDHAKARA JAIN

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta on Wednesday (September 23, 2026) sought more time from the Supreme Court for the Union government to reach a decision on a suggestion to spare the current batch of Class 6 students from the three-language policy.

“Take your time, but see that the Class 6 students get some relief. We did not make this suggestion on a point of legality, but after considering the comfort and convenience of Class 6 students,” Justice Joymalya Bagchi, part of a three-Judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, addressed the law officer.

The Chief Justice asked the government to detail the availability of teachers and necessary infrastructure in schools to support the three-language scheme. The court posted the case for Monday (September 28, 2026).

In the previous hearing, the Supreme Court had proposed that the scheme should be mandatory for Class 6 only from January 1, 2027, rather than “springing a surprise” on the current batch when there was hardly four months left for the year to end.

Chief Justice Kant had said the government could use the time to come up with incentives for the children to embrace the study of a third language in school.

Initially, the government had submitted that the scheme should start with Class 6 this year itself. Under CBSE guidelines, students in Classes 7 to Class 9 were exempted while the present Class 6 batch was slated to face full implementation, including a mandatory Class 10 Board exam in the third language by 2031.

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.