Key facts
- Supreme Court refused to stay CBSE's three-language policy
- Policy requires students to study three languages including Hindi and English
- Non-Hindi states like Tamil Nadu have historically opposed the formula
- Case will continue to be heard; policy remains in force
Business Standard reports that the Supreme Court has declined to grant interim relief against CBSE's three-language policy, allowing the policy to continue operating while the legal challenge proceeds. The petition had sought a stay on the policy, which mandates that CBSE students study three languages as part of their curriculum — a requirement that critics argue disproportionately burdens students in non-Hindi-speaking states by effectively promoting Hindi.
The three-language formula has long been a flashpoint in Indian education politics. States such as Tamil Nadu have historically resisted it, arguing that the formula imposes linguistic and cultural preferences of northern India on southern students. The controversy has resurfaced repeatedly in the context of the National Education Policy 2020, which reiterated the three-language approach.
By refusing interim relief, the Supreme Court ensures that CBSE schools across the country must continue to follow the policy during the pendency of the case. This matters to millions of students and parents in CBSE-affiliated schools who are directly subject to the curriculum requirement, and it signals that any change — if the court ultimately rules in the petitioners' favour — remains some time away.