‘Unnecessary mental stress’: Annamalai opposes mid-session implementation of Centre's 3-language rule

NEW DELHI: BJP leader K Annamalai on Tuesday urged the Centre to withdraw its decision to implement the three-language policy in the current academic year and asked CBSE to make the policy compulsory after three years, as originally announced.In a post on X, Annamalai said that the sudden announcement by CBSE has caused great shock to parents, especially to the parents of students in Tamil Nadu."In April 2026, when the CBSE board announced that three languages would be compulsory for students from Class 6 onwards, and that two of those three languages must be Indian languages, I was among those who welcomed the decision, as it would help children understand India’s diverse literary and cultural heritage from an early age. In the notification issued in April 2026, it was clearly stated that making the third language compulsory for Class 9 CBSE students would be implemented only after three years, from the 2029-30 academic year onwards," he said.Also read | Three language policy at secondary level adds to CBSE’s students worries"However, in a new circular sent by CBSE to all affiliated schools on May 15, 2026, the board has made the third language compulsory for Class 9 students from the current academic year itself. Through this, the CBSE board has gone against its earlier announcement that the rule would be implemented only from the 2029-30 academic year. This sudden announcement by CBSE has caused great shock to parents, especially to the parents of students in Tamil Nadu. This is because their children had already chosen the language of their preference in Class 6, but according to the newly issued notification, Class 9 students must now compulsorily study three languages, of which two must be Indian languages, and this will come into effect from July 1, 2026 itself," he added.He further said that expecting students to learn a "new language within such a short period would create unnecessary mental stress for children and would also affect their overall academic performance.""Therefore, I request the Union education ministry to immediately withdraw this new notification and implement the plan to make three languages compulsory in Class 9, including two Indian languages, only after three years, from the 2029-30 academic year onwards, as originally announced," he said.The Central Board of Secondary Education's recent mandate requiring a third language at the secondary level has triggered concern among parents, students, and school administrators, particularly over its mid-session implementation and the impact on those who have been studying a foreign language as their second language.The revised policy states that students must study three languages at the secondary level, with at least two being Indian languages, including options such as Hindi and Sanskrit. Families said the change increases the curriculum burden and forces many children to switch tracks after years of learning a foreign language.