Back to school: Three-language policy hits practical roadblocks
India's National Education Policy (NEP) three-language policy, mandating two Indian languages in CBSE schools from 2026-27, is encountering practical implementation challenges. While schools generally support the goal of promoting multilingualism, issues such as a shortage of qualified teachers are leading to Hindi and Sanskrit becoming default choices, and reducing the availability of foreign language instruction.
Why it matters
This policy impacts millions of students and the future of language education in India, potentially shaping cultural identity and global competitiveness. The practical roadblocks highlight the complexities of large-scale educational reforms and their potential unintended consequences on curriculum diversity and teacher training.
Even as the Supreme Court has taken up the three-language policy, its implementation under the National Education Policy (NEP) across CBSE schools from 2026–27 is creating a complex web of permutations and combinations across States now that two Indian languages (Bhartiya Bhashas) have been made mandatory for Class 6, with some relaxations for Classes 7, 8 and 9 students, who were studying two non-native languages.
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For the most part, schools welcome the policy’s intent to promote multilingualism, but there remain practical obstacles in implementation, such as the unavailability of teachers, which is leading to Hindi and Sanskrit becoming default third language options.
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