New Delhi, July 16: Supreme Court Judge Justice B.V. Nagarathna has urged the government to reconsider introducing a third language from Class 9 under the Three-Language Scheme, stating that it would place unnecessary academic pressure on students preparing for Board examinations.
Making oral observations in open court, Justice Nagarathna questioned the rationale behind introducing a new language at such a crucial stage of a student’s education.
“Why introduce a third language in Class 9? That is stressful. Why not Class 6?” Justice Nagarathna remarked.
She suggested that the third language should instead be introduced from Class 6 and completed by Class 9, allowing students to focus on their Board examination subjects in the higher classes.
The remarks came in the context of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) circular issued on May 15, which outlined the implementation of the Three-Language Scheme.
Justice Nagarathna’s observations have renewed discussions on the timing of language education in schools and the need to balance curriculum requirements with students’ academic workload. The remarks were made during court proceedings and do not constitute a judicial order.
