Why Rare Languages Could Become the Biggest Casualty of CBSE’s New Language Policy
CBSE's new three-language policy works on giving prominence to Indian languages. However, some Indian languages are set to benefit more as compared to other indigenous languages, and the necessity of knowning atleast one of the prominent global languages gives very little room for others.
The Central Board of Secondary Education introduced the three-language scheme for students from this academic year onwards. As per the new three-language policy, students need to study at least two native Indian languages. According to the policy, a non-native language can be opted for as the third language (R3), provided that the other two are Bhartiya Bhashas
The National Education Policy 2020, NEP 2020, recommends learning three languages, with at least two of the three languages being native to India. The board further adds that while CBSE aims to equip learners with competence in multiple Bhartiya Bhashas (native Indian languages) and promote the vibrancy of language learning, it is equally committed to ensuring that the process of learning and growth remains balanced.
While this is out there, the fate of many rare languages like Sanskrit, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali or other languages like Arabic and Persian will remain in question since the takers for these languages will reduce significantly. Since under this policy, English is considered a foreign language, the most prominent choice for students in terms of Indian languages will be Hindi, while regional languages will take a step back.
CBSE Three Language Policy - Click Here
CBSE Three Language Policy Explained
Languages like Hindi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Bengali, Punjabi, Gujarati, Odia, and Assamese are considered Indian Languages (Bharatiya Bhashas) and languages like English, French, German, Arabic, Persian and Spanish are considered non-native languages.
For Students of Class IX (2026-27)
If student is already studying two Bhartiya Bhashas - Example: Hindi + Tamil, you can choose as your third language another Bhartiya Bhasha or a non-native language such as English or French.
If student is studying one Bhartiya Bhasha and one non-native language - Example: Tamil + English. You can choose any Bhartiya Bhasha as a third language (R3)
If students is studying two non-native languages - Example: English + French. As a special one-time relaxation for students who are already in Class IX during 2026-27, may continue with those two non-native languages and need to add one Bhartiya Bhasha as their third language (R3)
For Students of Class VII or VIII (2026-27)
When they reach Classes IX and X, they will continue studying three languages, with two of them being Bhartiya Bhashas. For the current batch of Class VII (2026-27) and Class VIII (2026-27), the students who have already selected and started studying 2 non-native languages need to study 01 additional Bhartiya Bhasha and continue the same till Class X.
For Students of Class VI 2026-27
Out of the three languages, two would be Bhartiya Bhashas for this batch and onwards. When this batch and the subsequent Class VI batches progress to Class X, they shall take the Board examination of R3.
What is the Effect of The Three Language Policy on Other Languages?
Languages like Sanskrit, Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Bengali, etc are likely to take a back seat since schools and students will give maximum priority to languages like English and Hindi and foreign languages of global importance.
English was and is a primary language and medium of instruction in the majority of the CBSE schools, and Hindi or other regional languages will be considered as a second option. This leaves students with only one optional language.
English in this scenario will be considered as the Foreign language, while Hindi will take up the slot for one of the two Indian Languages. To meet the requirement of the three-language policy, most schools will pivot to dominant regional languages (Malayalam, Tamil, Bengali Etc). Minority or indigenous languages will be ignored in the process.
Considering future aspects of students, parents will also shift to picking a globally important foreign language as an option, as compared to a rare language. The dominance of one Indian language and global languages will reduce the importance of rare languages.
Sherin is an education journalist with over 7 years of experience. Over her tenure of working with top media houses like Careers 360 and then Jagran Josh, Sherin has covered various entrance examinations liek JEE Main, NEET, CUET, GATE, etc. as well as various state board and CBSE results. Her understanding of the education ecosystem coupled with her own experience of teaching as an Assistant Professor of nearly 2 years helps her provide a comprehensive perspective to students. She has a Masters Degree in Communication from Madras Christian College. Apart from covering education news, Sherin also enjoys reading and cooking.
