Jairam Ramesh raises concerns over introducing third language in schools

way2barak, June 8: Congress MP Jairam Ramesh has criticised the Central government’s move to make the study of a third language compulsory for students in Class 9 and 10, describing the decision as “arbitrary, unplanned” and calling for the notification to be withdrawn.

Sharing a letter from Congress leader Digvijay Singh addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Ramesh stated that the introduction of a third language is in “direct contradiction of the CBSE governing body’s own decision and all norms of academic planning.”

In a post on X, he said: “The Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education and senior @INCIndia leader @digvijaya_28 has written to the Prime Minister seeking a halt to the arbitrary, unplanned addition of a third language to Grade 9 and 10 CBSE curriculum – in direct contradiction of the CBSE Governing Body’s own decision and all norms of academic planning.”

According to a notification issued by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on May 15, from July 1, 2026, Class 9 students must study three languages (R1, R2, R3), with at least two being native Indian languages. Students wishing to study a foreign language may do so only as the third language if the other two are native Indian languages, or as a fourth additional language.