Last Updated:June 07, 2026, 12:11 IST

Digvijaya Singh urges PM Modi to halt CBSE three language policy for Class IX, citing mid year disruption, lack of books and teachers.

Digvijaya Singh Urges PM Modi To Put 3-Language Policy Implementation On Hold For Class 9th Students

Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to uregently halt the mandatory implementation of the three-language policy for Class IX students by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), warning that its sudden rollout in the middle of the academic year could cause serious disruption in schools across the country.

In a letter dated June 5, Singh, who also serves as chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports, flagged concerns raised by parents and questioned the CBSE’s decision to enforce the policy from July 1, 2026.

He said he was forwarding to the Prime Minister a representation from a group of parents of CBSE Class IX students, who are opposed to the compulsory introduction of a third language mid-session.

“Having gone through the representation, I find the concerns raised to be genuine and deserving of immediate attention,” Singh wrote. “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.”

Singh pointed out that the CBSE’s own governing body had, in its meeting in December 2025, ratified the Curriculum Committee’s recommendation that schools should “continue with the existing Scheme of Studies especially with regards to language until the release of graded textbooks of languages by NCERT”.

Despite this, the CBSE issued a circular on May 15, 2026, directing schools to implement third language instruction in Grade IX from July 1, 2026, the Rajya Sabha MP said.

CBSE Recommended Class 6th Textbooks For Class 9th Students

He noted that the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has not yet released graded language textbooks and that CBSE has, in the interim, recommended the use of NCERT’s Grade 6 language textbooks for Class IX students.

“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,” Singh said.

Singh Cites Language Barrier 

The Congress leader argued that the situation is particularly difficult for students in the Southern and North-Eastern States, where Hindi is not widely spoken and local tribal languages may not be included in CBSE’s recognised language list.

He added that Sanskrit has emerged as a popular third-language option in many schools, but warned that a severe shortage of qualified Sanskrit teachers and appropriate textbooks “would defeat the very purpose of promoting this beautiful language”.

“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,” Singh wrote.

He also drew attention to the fact that the issue is currently sub-judice. “I understand that the matter is sub-judice but that the verdict of the honourable 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),” he 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,” Singh added.

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