Supreme Court urges no compulsory third language in Class 9

The Supreme Court on Thursday, July 16, 2026, urged the central government to reconsider introducing a compulsory third language at the Class 9 level, with a judge warning it would place an unnecessary burden on students already under academic pressure. The court's oral observations came during a hearing on a separate case concerning the establishment of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) in Tamil Nadu.

Justice B.V. Nagarathna, heading a bench with Justice R. Mahadevan, directly addressed the Union government's counsel, advising that a new language should not start in Class 9. She suggested that if a third language is to be introduced, it should begin in Classes 5 or 6 and conclude by Class 9. Justice Nagarathna remarked that the stress of Class 10 board examinations begins as early as Class 8, making the introduction of a new language at that stage counterproductive. Drawing from her own schooling experience in the 1970s, she noted that academic pressure has only increased for today's students.

The court's comments were made during proceedings on an appeal filed by the Tamil Nadu government. The state is challenging a 2017 Madras High Court order that directed it to facilitate...