India's CBSE clarifies three‑language policy, letting current students keep foreign languages

India's Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) announced that students presently in classes 7, 8 and 9 will not have to change their language subjects. The clarification, made by Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, states that the new three‑language rule applies only to students entering class 6 for the first time. Those already studying two foreign languages can continue them through the class 10 board examinations.

The policy, aligned with the National Education Policy 2020, requires that at least two of the three languages studied be Indian languages, while a third language may be either Indian or foreign. The board also signalled upcoming changes to its skill‑education component, proposing an annual 110‑hour skill module for classes 6‑8 covering coding, entrepreneurship and other practical subjects, though the final decision on making this mandatory for class 10 remains pending.

The clarification resolves earlier confusion caused by a CBSE notice and is expected to affect roughly 25 crore students across India, easing parental concerns about potential bans on foreign language study.