The Supreme Court has asked the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to reconsider its decision to implement the three-language policy for Class VI students during the current academic year.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana was hearing several petitions challenging aspects of the policy. The petitions have raised concerns over the availability of suitable textbooks, teachers for Indian languages and the infrastructure required to implement the policy effectively.

Under the revised framework, students from Classes VI to X were expected to study three languages, with at least two of them being Indian languages. Following the court's intervention, CBSE had agreed to apply the revised arrangement to Class VI students this year while retaining the earlier system for students in Classes VII to X.

The court had subsequently asked the board to reconsider whether Class VI students should be brought under the new arrangement immediately.

During Thursday's hearing, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati informed the bench that CBSE was initially reluctant to defer the policy for Class VI. The board's position was that students entering Class VI would still have several years before their Class X board examinations to adjust to the new requirement.

The bench, however, expressed concern about introducing the change after students had already entered Class VI and questioned the timing of the decision. It observed that the policy had been introduced without giving the affected students sufficient advance notice.

The court suggested that implementation for the current Class VI cohort could instead begin from the 2027-28 academic session, by which time students entering Class VI would have prior knowledge of the language requirements.

Following the court's observations, Bhati agreed to take the matter back to CBSE for reconsideration.

The bench clarified that any decision to defer the policy for the current Class VI batch would be limited to practical and logistical considerations and would not prevent CBSE from continuing to defend the policy itself.

The court also noted that other substantive questions remain unresolved, including the broader debate over which languages should qualify as indigenous languages under the policy. The status of English in this context is among the issues contested by the parties.

The judges further indicated that students should be given sufficient time to understand the language requirements before they are made applicable to them. The possibility of allowing Class VI students to voluntarily adopt the three-language framework, supported by appropriate incentives, was also discussed.

The matter has been listed for further hearing on Wednesday.