New Delhi, 07 June (H.S.):

Senior Congress leader and Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports, Digvijaya Singh, has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking the immediate suspension of the decision to make a third language mandatory for students of Classes 9 and 10 under the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).

In his letter, Singh argued that the decision has been taken without adequate preparation and is contrary to an earlier resolution adopted by the CBSE Governing Board. He expressed concern that the policy's implementation in the middle of an academic session could create significant difficulties for students, parents, and educational institutions.

Congress General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh shared Singh’s letter on the social media platform X on Sunday, stating that the introduction of a third language in the Class 9 and 10 curriculum was being carried out in an arbitrary and unplanned manner. He asserted that the move contradicts both the CBSE Governing Board’s own decisions and established principles of academic planning.

In his communication to the Prime Minister, Digvijaya Singh said he had received a memorandum from a group of parents of Class 9 students expressing strong opposition to the implementation of the three-language policy during the ongoing academic session. He described the concerns raised by the parents as genuine and deserving of immediate attention.

Singh noted that during its December 2025 meeting, the CBSE Governing Board had approved a recommendation from the Curriculum Committee stating that the existing language arrangement should continue until graded textbooks for the relevant languages became available. Despite this, CBSE issued a circular on May 15 directing schools to implement the third-language requirement in Class 9 from July 1.

He pointed out that the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has not yet published the required graded textbooks for the concerned languages. According to Singh, CBSE is currently recommending the use of Class 6-level textbooks, a measure that could disrupt the academic planning of thousands of schools across the country.

The Congress leader also highlighted the unique linguistic circumstances of southern and northeastern states. He noted that Hindi is not widely spoken in many of these regions and that several indigenous and tribal languages are not included in CBSE’s list of recognised languages.

Singh further observed that Sanskrit is likely to emerge as the preferred third-language option in many schools. However, he warned that there is a serious shortage of qualified Sanskrit teachers as well as appropriate teaching materials and textbooks required for effective implementation.

In his letter, Singh urged the Prime Minister to immediately defer the implementation of the policy for students currently enrolled in Class 9. He pointed out that the matter is presently under judicial consideration, with the next court hearing scheduled for July 15, while schools have been instructed to enforce the new policy from July 1.

Given these circumstances, he argued that it would be inappropriate to proceed with implementation before the legal process is completed and before adequate academic preparations are in place.

Emphasising the long-term implications of the decision, Singh stated that the educational future of millions of students depends on carefully planned and well-prepared policy measures. He urged the government to approach the matter with sensitivity, caution, and due consideration of the concerns raised by stakeholders.

The letter adds to the ongoing debate surrounding language policy in school education and the practical challenges associated with implementing the provisions of the National Education Policy at the secondary school level.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar