CBSE makes third language mandatory for classes 9 and 10 for pass certificate

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced that the third language will become a mandatory qualifying subject for students in Classes 9 and 10, aligning with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 framework. Under this revised regulation, students entering Class 10 from the 2027-28 academic session must successfully clear the school-based internal assessment in their third language to be eligible for the Secondary School Examination pass certificate. While this language requirement has been directly tied to passing Class 10, the subject itself will remain outside the official Class 10 board examination syllabus and will be evaluated internally by the respective schools.

According to the official circular issued by the CBSE on July 10, robust guidelines have been established to address cases of students who do not pass the assessment. If a student fails the internal evaluation in Class 10, the school is required to organize and conduct a formal reassessment before the final board results are declared. For Class 9 students, the new rule will become effective starting from the 2026-27 academic session. To prevent academic setbacks, ninth-graders who fail to qualify in the third language will still be promoted to Class 10, but they must clear the pending assessment during their tenth-grade academic year.

This latest directive serves to expand on the CBSE's June 29 circular, which laid the foundation for the implementation of the three-language formula starting from Class 6 in the 2026-27 academic year. Under the new model, students are required to study three languages, with at least two being native to India; those studying foreign languages alongside English must also adopt an Indian language to fulfill the requirement. While the current batch of Class 10 students appearing for the 2026-27 board exams remains completely unaffected, the Central Government has defended the policy in court against legal challenges, maintaining that it is designed to preserve Indian languages, foster cognitive development, and promote national integration.