New Delhi: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has directed all affiliated schools to introduce a third language in Class 6 from the 2026–27 academic session, calling the move “urgent and mandatory” in a circular issued on April 9. Schools have been given a seven-day deadline to comply.
In its notice, the board said some institutions had already begun implementing the third language, referred to as R3, and instructed the rest to act immediately. “All remaining schools are hereby directed to ensure compliance within 7 days from the date of issuance of this circular,” CBSE stated.
Schools have been asked to begin teaching the additional language without delay, even if official textbooks are not yet available. “The textbooks for R3 will be made available shortly. However, schools are directed to start teaching R3 from Class 6 immediately, using locally available books or materials,” the circular said.
The board also required schools to formally declare the third language they intend to offer and update the information on the OASIS portal. Implementation will be monitored by CBSE’s regional offices.
CBSE clarified that early adoption will influence future subject options. “Only those R3 languages which are introduced in Class 6 by a school will be available as options in Classes 9 and 10 for that school,” the notice said.
The directive follows recommendations from the National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023, which promotes multilingual learning through a three-language model. Under this framework, students study a regional or mother tongue, a second language such as English or another Indian language, and a third additional language.
According to CBSE, the initiative aims to foster linguistic skills, cultural awareness, and national integration, with strict monitoring to ensure timely rollout.