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Hindi and the three-language formula

The Centre's push for a third language in schools faces resistance from Tamil Nadu, and parents have challenged CBSE's rules in the Supreme Court.

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The question

Does the three-language formula widen students' choices, or push Hindi on states and children who do not want it?

28,819CBSE schools; the Centre says all but 1.2% follow the three-language schemeLiveLaw
Rs 5,110 crorepending central education funds Tamil Nadu wants released without conditionsThe Economic Times
3 monthstime the Supreme Court gave Tamil Nadu to identify land for Navodaya schoolsThe Hindu
2 of 3languages CBSE students study from Class 9 that must be Indian languagesThe Indian Express
Context

How we got here

The National Education Policy (NEP) and the 2023 National Curriculum Framework ask school students to learn three languages, at least two of them Indian. Supporters say this builds respect for India's languages and links regions, with Hindi as a common bridge. Opponents, led by Tamil Nadu, see it as a route to making Hindi compulsory. Tamil Nadu has followed a Tamil-and-English two-language policy for decades. In 2026 the fight ran on three tracks. In the Supreme Court, parents challenged a 15 May circular from the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) requiring three languages, saying it burdened children and treated English as foreign. In a separate case, the court pressed Tamil Nadu to identify land for Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas, centrally run residential schools that the state says would bring in Hindi through the back door. And the Centre has tied the release of Samagra Shiksha school funds to the state accepting NEP-linked PM-SHRI schools, which Tamil Nadu has refused. Tamil Nadu's new TVK government, in office since mid-2026, has kept the same position as the DMK government before it.

In their own words

Where each side stands

Union government and BJP

Amit Shah says learning one more Indian language besides the mother tongue helps children understand India and calls Hindi a link, not a competitor. The Centre told the Supreme Court thousands of experts were consulted on the CBSE scheme. Tamil Nadu BJP says Navodaya schools offer students free meals, uniforms and books.

The Hindu · The Indian Express
Tamil Nadu government (TVK) and DMK

Both say they are not against Hindi but will keep Tamil and English as the state's two languages. They argue choice of language is a fundamental right and federalism is part of the Constitution's basic structure, and want central funds released without NEP conditions.

The Hindu · India Today · The Economic Times
Parents and petitioners

Parents challenging the CBSE circular say it was rolled out suddenly, burdens students, treats English as foreign and leaves some schools offering only Hindi or Sanskrit as the third language.

The Indian Express · LiveLaw
Supreme Court benches (oral remarks)

In hearings, one bench urged Tamil Nadu to drop an anti-Hindi 'mindset' and said states 'cannot act like individual countries'; another pressed CBSE to ease the load on Class 6. These were remarks during hearings, not final judgments.

The Hindu · The Indian Express
6 moments

The timeline

  1. Tamil Nadu CM Vijay asks PM Modi to release Rs 5,110 crore in school funds without NEP conditions

    In July the Centre said 'the implementation of Samagra Shiksha is the implementation of NEP'.

  2. Supreme Court grants Class 6 CBSE students the same third-language relief as Class 7, over Centre's objection

    The relief applies from 1 April 2027, Zee News reported.

  3. Tamil Nadu says it will keep its two-language policy and not give land for Navodaya schools

    Rajmohan: 'We follow the two-language policy, and we will continue to do so. There will be no change in our stand.'

  4. Supreme Court gives Tamil Nadu three months to identify land for Navodaya schools

    The bench said: 'We are not asking you to acquire land. We are only asking to identify.'

  5. Amit Shah says opponents of learning another Indian language 'do not know what sin they are committing'

    Shah said political differences should be set aside to promote Indian languages.

  6. Supreme Court asks CBSE to consider sparing Class 6 students a third-language board exam

    Justice Joymalya Bagchi asked why Class 6 students could not be spared the third-language exam in Class 10.

Honest gaps

What we still don't know

  • ?Whether Tamil Nadu will identify Navodaya land before the 14 December 2026 hearing, and what the court will do if it does not.
  • ?How the Supreme Court will finally rule on the validity of CBSE's three-language circular.
  • ?Whether the Centre will release the withheld Samagra Shiksha funds without a PM-SHRI agreement.
Who reported this

Sources

Left-leaning · 2Centre · 3

5 outlets across the spectrum. Leanings are a rough guide to who reported it, not a verdict on accuracy.

  1. The Indian ExpressWe don’t want children to come under pressure: SC flags CBSE three-language policy
  2. The HinduAmit Shah stresses cultural nationalism, promotion of Indian languages at Rajbhasha event
  3. The HinduNavodaya schools case: Supreme Court asks Tamil Nadu to drop anti-Hindi ‘mindset’; State says language is a fundamental right
  4. LiveLawCBSE 3-Language Formula | Grant Class 6 Same Relaxation As Class 7: Supreme Court
  5. India TodayTN govt firm on 2-language policy after SC asks for mindset change on Hindi
  6. The Economic TimesTamil Nadu CM Vijay asks Centre to release Rs 5,110 crore in pending education funds without conditions; complete list of his demands to PM Modi
Show all 7 sources
  1. The HinduBJP to stage protest if T.N. government continued to oppose Navodaya Vidyalaya schools
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