Tamil Nadu BJP leader K Annamalai has urged the Ministry of Education to withdraw the revised CBSE three-language policy notification, asking it to adhere to its earlier commitment regarding phased implementation of the rule for Class 9 students.
In a post on social media, Annamalai said the revised directive has caused concern among several parents, particularly in Tamil Nadu. He noted that many students had already opted for their language choices in Class 6, and the latest change requires Class 9 students to study three languages, including two Indian languages, with effect from July 1, 2026.
He argued that introducing an additional language at the Class 9 level would increase academic pressure and could negatively impact learning outcomes.
"Expecting a Class 9 student to learn a new language in a short time will only pressurise children and affect their overall learning outcomes," he said.
In April 2026, when the CBSE announced that three languages for Class VI students shall be made compulsory and 2 of the three languages shall be native to India, I was one amongst many who welcomed this decision that allows Children to learn multiple languages from a young age,… https://t.co/fBiDPjZhxg pic.twitter.com/LICAtI6Ydl
— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) May 26, 2026
Annamalai also recalled that when CBSE announced the three-language framework in April 2026, he had welcomed the move, noting that early multilingual learning would help students better understand India's linguistic and literary diversity. The April notification, he said, had specified that the compulsory third language for Class 9 students would be implemented only from the academic year 2029-30.
However, he pointed out that a subsequent communication issued by CBSE on May 15, 2026, directed affiliated schools to introduce the third compulsory language for Class 9 students from the current academic year itself, effectively advancing the timeline by three years.
He has now urged the Centre to reconsider the revised directive and restore the original implementation schedule.
