The Central Board of Secondary Education told the Supreme Court that granting a one-time exemption from the three-language rule for Class 6 students would disrupt implementation and create avoidable learning gaps.
The Board stated that Class 6 textbooks for the third language in all 22 scheduled Indian languages are available, and over 93 percent of 20,777 reporting schools already possess teachers for at least two indigenous languages.
The Supreme Court suggested that mandatory implementation for Class 6 could begin from January 2027, with current students voluntarily opting for the third language in the interim, and set further instructions for September 23.