Digvijaya urges PM Modi to pause three-language policy

Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, flagging concerns over the mandatory implementation of the three-language policy for Class IX students by the CBSE in the current mid-session, and urging him to put it on hold.

Singh, who is also the chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports, said the sudden enforcement of this policy mid-session without adequate teachers, textbooks, or transition time, is likely to create serious disruption, “not unlike the chaos witnessed during the hasty implementation of CBSE’s On-Screen Marking (OSM) system”.

“I am forwarding herewith a representation received from a group of concerned parents of CBSE Class IX students, opposing the mandatory implementation of the three-language policy in the current mid-session,” Singh said in his letter to Modi.

“Having gone through the representation, I find the concerns raised to be genuine and deserving of immediate attention. The sudden enforcement of this policy mid-session — without adequate teachers, textbooks, or transition time is likely to create serious disruption, not unlike the chaos witnessed during the hasty implementation of CBSE’s On-Screen Marking (OSM) system, which adversely impacted lakhs of students across the country,” the Congress leader said.

Further, Singh said, it has been brought to his attention that the CBSE’s governing body in its meeting in December 2025 had ratified the Curriculum Committee’s recommendation that ‘schools continue with the existing Scheme of Studies especially with regards to language until the release of graded textbooks of languages by NCERT’.

Despite its own Governing Body’s decision, the CBSE issued a circular on May 15, 2026, asking for the implementation of third language instruction in Grade IX from 1st July 2026, the RS MP said.

The NCERT has not yet released graded textbooks of language and the CBSE has, therefore, recommended the use of the NCERT’s Grade 6 textbooks, he said.

It is not clear how and why the CBSE has so evidently overturned its Governing Body’s decision, and in a way that threatens the academic planning of thousands of schools across the country, he said.

Singh argued that the situation is particularly untenable for students in the Southern and North-Eastern States, where Hindi is not spoken and local tribal languages may not feature in the CBSE’s recognised language list.

Sanskrit has emerged as a popular third language choice for many schools but it should also be noted that there is a severe shortage of qualified Sanskrit teachers and appropriate textbooks, a situation that would defeat the very purpose of promoting this beautiful language, he said.

“Rising above all other considerations, my respectful recommendation is that the implementation of this policy for current Class IX students be put on hold immediately,” Singh said in his letter dated June 5.

“I understand that the matter is sub-judice but that the verdict of the honourable Court is only due on 15th July, 2026. This is after the date on which schools are meant to be implementing the instruction of the third language (i.e., 1st July 2026), he said.

“Therefore, I earnestly hope that the matter will receive your urgent and sympathetic consideration in the interest of the millions of students whose academic futures depend on sound and well-prepared policy decisions,” the Congress leader said.

Sharing Singh’s letter on social media, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh 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.”

Singh had also written to Prime Minister Modi a few days ago over the NEET-UG paper leak issue, urging the government to issue a white paper documenting the instances of paper leaks or irregularities in NTA-conducted examinations in the last eight years and the action taken on them.

Singh had said that at a time when lakhs of students are under heavy pressure, it is critical to reinforce their faith in the system.

The NEET (UG) 2026 exam, held on May 3 by the NTA, was cancelled on May 12 amid allegations of paper leak which is now being probed by the CBI.

A re-examination has been scheduled for June 21.