CBSE’s new school curriculum released on Thursday shows that a third language will be made compulsory in Class 6 from the current 2026-27 academic session. With every learner expected to study at least two Indian languages, the move sets the stage for the Board to introduce a third language as a mandatory subject in the Class 10 board exam in 2031.
The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 recommends that students learn three languages up to Class 10, unlike the current system where they study only two languages.
According to CBSE Chairman Rahul Singh, the third language or R3 is not being made mandatory for Class 9 students yet. “R3 level textbooks will be introduced in Class 6 this year. They will write their board exams in 2031, and that’s when the entire schema will change, and the three-language formula will be entirely implemented,” he said at the launch of the CBSE’s new secondary school curriculum.
A source said that with students expected to study at least two Indian languages as part of the three-language formula, those writing the Class 10 board exam in 2031 are not likely to be able to take the exam in both the English subject and a foreign language as the second or third language. This is because English will now be considered a foreign language, and the new curriculum allows only one foreign language, the source added.
Learning material for R3, as developed by CBSE, is likely to be available online this month, the source added.
With the new curriculum, the Board is also making art education, vocational education, and physical education mandatory in classes 9 and 10. Textbooks are set to be introduced for art education and physical education. In the current academic session, Class 10 students will have school-based assessments for art and physical education. In the 2027-28 academic session, they will have vocational education as a compulsory subject with an annual or board exam, while art and physical education will continue to be assessed through school-based internals.
Explained
A Matter of Language
The changes are in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 that recommends that students learn three languages up to Class 10, unlike the current system where they study only two languages. The Board will also offer Dogri, Maithili, Konkani and Santhali as language subjects in Class 9 from the current academic session. With this, the Board will now offer all 22 scheduled languages as options.
Computational thinking and artificial intelligence will also be introduced as compulsory subjects for classes 9 and 10. They will be introduced as modules with internal assessments in the current academic session, and will become a compulsory board exam subject for Class 10 in 2029. These subjects are being introduced in classes 3 to 8 in the current academic session.
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From the 2026-27 academic session onwards, math and science are also being offered at two levels to Class 9 students — the advanced level will involve additional content beyond the common syllabus. Students who choose the advanced level will write an exam of 25 marks for one hour, in addition to the common final exam.
Singh said that subjects at two levels can help students identify their specific aptitudes, and they can opt for the advanced level in one subject, both, or none.
“For those who have cleared the advanced level, there will be a section in the marksheet with a description of the rubrics for the advanced level. Those who don’t clear it…there will be no mention of it in the marksheet. In the 2028 board exam, we’ll have these subjects at the advanced level as well,” he added.
While the Board had also considered introducing Social Science at two levels in Class 9, this has not been done yet since the curriculum and assessment for it has not been worked out, the CBSE official said.
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The new curriculum has been launched in line with the NEP 2020.
According to Praggya Singh, Director (Academics), CBSE, the curriculum provides a roadmap up to 2031. For the third language, there will be books in collaboration with the NCERT, she said.
The language requirement has been relaxed for schools in foreign countries – they may offer one compulsory language native to India as against the requirement of two Indian languages applicable to schools located in India.
The curriculum reiterates the directives in a CBSE circular issued last year, stating that schools must offer at least one language native to India as an option for medium of instruction from the preparatory stage up to Class 12.
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The Board will also offer Dogri, Maithili, Konkani and Santhali as language subjects in Class 9 from the current academic session. With this, the Board will now offer all 22 scheduled languages as options.
