The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a PIL next week challenging the recent CBSE circular that makes it mandatory for Class IX students to study three languages from July 1.

Under the new policy, at least two of the three languages must be native Indian tongues.

“We will list it next week,” Chief Justice of India Surya Kant assured senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing the petitioners (parents and studens), when he sought urgent listing of the matter on Monday.

“How can little children be asked to study these languages in such a short time and prepare for the board examination next year?” Rohatgi asked the bench that also had Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Vipul M. Pancholi.

“It will create chaos,” the senior counsel added.

Under the May 15 circular issued by the CBSE, Class IX students have to study three languages, designated as “R1, R2 and R3”. Of these, at least two must be native Indian languages, while the third can be a foreign language chosen by the student.

Before the new rule, students were required to study only two languages, including a foreign language.

The petitioners have assailed the move on the ground that it will create chaos and put tremendous pressure on Class IX students as they have to focus on the Class X board exams. The petitioners alleged that the CBSE chose to impose the decision unilaterally without considering the possible ill effects.

According to the petitioners, the decision had been taken by the CBSE without proper consultation and discussion with the stakeholders, and the impugned circular was also contrary to the board’s earlier circular on April 9 by which it had said that the third language requirement would be applied only from the 2029-30 academic session.

However, in breach of its own assurance, the CBSE has decided to enforce the new rule from the current academic year, which has already commenced, putting pressure on parents, teachers and students and creating widespread uncertainty.