GUWAHATI: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will make the study of three languages compulsory for Class IX students from July 1 in the 2026–27 academic session, mandating that at least two of them must be native Indian languages, under a revised Scheme of Studies aligned with the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023 and the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
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In a circular dated May 15, the Central Board of Secondary Education said the three-language structure; R1, R2 and R3 will come into effect from July 1, 2026. Students may opt for a foreign language only as the third language, or as an additional fourth language if they already meet the requirement of studying two native Indian languages.
The Board said the revised Scheme of Studies is a transitional measure following the review of the NCERT Class IX syllabus under the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023.
CBSE noted that there is an estimated 75–80 per cent overlap in core language competencies between the middle and secondary stages under the R3 framework. Until dedicated secondary-level textbooks are developed, schools will use Class VI R3 textbooks (2026–27 edition) for Class IX students.
Schools have been directed to supplement textbooks with locally relevant literary materials such as short stories, poems and non-fiction works. Detailed guidelines on the selection and pedagogical use of supplementary material will be issued by June 15. Textbooks in 19 scheduled languages will be supplied before July 1, while SCERT and state-level resources may be used for other native languages.
The Board clarified that R3 will not be part of the Class X board examinations. Assessment will be entirely internal and school-based, and will be reflected in CBSE certificates. No student will be barred from appearing in Class X Board Examinations on account of R3 performance. Sample question papers and internal assessment rubrics will be issued separately.
All CBSE-affiliated schools have been instructed to update their R3 language offerings for Classes VI to IX on the OASIS portal by June 30. The Board has also allowed flexible teacher deployment, including staff with functional language proficiency, inter-school resource sharing through Sahodaya clusters, virtual or hybrid teaching models, retired teachers, and qualified postgraduate educators.
Exemptions have been provided for children with special needs (CwSN) under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPWD) Act, 2016, CBSE-affiliated schools outside India, and foreign students returning to India, on a case-by-case basis.
List of languages for Class VI R3 textbooks
Class VI R3 textbooks are being developed in 19 scheduled languages: Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, and Telugu (Andhra Pradesh and Telangana variants).
