Congress leader Digvijaya Singh urges PM Modi to defer CBSE's three-language policy for Class IX

Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the government to put on hold the implementation of the CBSE's three-language policy for Class IX students during the current academic session.

Singh, who is also chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports, said he had received representations from parents opposing the mandatory rollout of the policy midway through the school year.

"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,” said Singh.

The Congress leader said the concerns raised by parents deserved immediate attention and warned that schools were not adequately prepared for the change.

"Having gone through the representation, I find the concerns raised to be genuine and deserving of immediate attention. The sudden enforcement of this policy mid-session—without adequate teachers, textbooks, or transition time—is likely to create serious disruption, not unlike the chaos witnessed during the hasty implementation of CBSE's On-Screen Marking (OSM) system, which adversely impacted lakhs of students across the country,” he said.

In his letter, Singh referred to a December 2025 meeting of the CBSE Governing Body, which had ratified the Curriculum Committee's recommendation that schools continue with the existing language scheme until graded language textbooks were released by NCERT.

However, he noted that CBSE subsequently issued a circular on May 15, 2026, directing schools to begin third-language instruction for Class IX students from July 1, 2026.

According to Singh, NCERT has not yet released the required graded language textbooks, prompting CBSE to recommend the use of NCERT's Grade 6 textbooks instead.

"It is not clear how and why the CBSE has so evidently overturned its Governing Body's decision and in a way that threatens the academic planning of thousands of schools across the country."

He further argued that the policy could create particular difficulties in southern and northeastern states, where Hindi is not widely spoken and some local tribal languages may not be included in CBSE's recognized language list.

Singh also highlighted concerns regarding Sanskrit, which has emerged as a popular third-language option in many schools.

Sanskrit had emerged as a popular third-language choice for many schools, but it should also be noted that there was a severe shortage of qualified Sanskrit teachers and appropriate textbooks, a situation that would defeat the very purpose of promoting this beautiful language, he said.

Calling for an immediate pause in implementation, Singh wrote, "Rising above all other considerations, my respectful recommendation is that the implementation of this policy for current Class IX students be put on hold immediately."

He also pointed out that the matter is currently before a court, with a verdict expected on July 15, after the proposed implementation date.

"I understand that the matter is sub-judice but that the verdict of the honorable court is only due on 15th July, 2026. This is after the date on which schools are meant to be implementing the instruction of the third language (i.e., 1st July 2026),” the Congress leader said.

"Therefore, I earnestly hope that the matter will receive your urgent and sympathetic consideration in the interest of the millions of students whose academic futures depend on sound and well-prepared policy decisions," he added.

Separately, Singh had recently written to the Prime Minister on the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak issue, seeking a white paper on instances of examination irregularities and paper leaks in National Testing Agency-conducted exams over the past eight years and the action taken in each case.

The NEET-UG 2026 examination, conducted on May 3, was canceled on May 12 following allegations of a paper leak. The case is under investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation, and a re-examination is scheduled for June 21.