New Delhi: The Centre, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) have defended the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020's three-language framework in the Supreme Court, saying it is aimed at promoting multilingualism and national integration.

In separate affidavits filed before the apex court, the Union Ministry of Education, the CBSE and the NCERT sought dismissal of petitions challenging the three-language policy introduced in CBSE-affiliated schools.

Meanwhile, a bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Tuesday sought responses from the Centre, the CBSE and the NCERT on two fresh petitions challenging the policy mandating the study of three languages, including two native Indian languages, for Class IX students.

The Ministry of Education said the three-language framework forms part of the broader educational reforms envisaged under the NEP 2020 and reiterated through the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCFSE) 2023.

It said the policy seeks to promote multilingualism, strengthen national integration and instil among students a sense of pride in India's linguistic and cultural diversity while equipping them with knowledge, values and skills for responsible citizenship.

The CBSE told the court that the policy had been introduced through a "planned, phased and systematic" process and did not compel students to discontinue foreign languages.

The board said the concerns raised by petitioners had already been substantially addressed through guidelines issued on June 29 and a subsequent circular dated July 10, providing transitional relaxations and safeguards to ensure that no student is disadvantaged.

According to the affidavit, students currently in Class X during the 2026-27 academic year will continue under the existing two-language system and will not be required to study a third language.

For students presently in Class IX, who will appear for the Class X Board examination in 2027-28, the third language will be assessed only through internal school-based evaluation, with no separate board examination paper.

The CBSE also said students who had already opted for two non-native languages, such as English and French, had been granted a one-time relaxation allowing them to continue both languages while adding one Indian language as the third subject.

Rejecting claims that foreign languages had been removed from the curriculum, the board said they could continue either as one of the three languages, provided the other two were Indian languages, or as an optional fourth language.

The CBSE further said concerns regarding the availability of teachers and learning resources were unfounded. It informed the court that the NCERT had begun providing learning materials and that schools had been permitted to adopt flexible staffing arrangements, including inter-school resource sharing and virtual teaching.

The board also said students whose parents migrate to another state would be allowed flexibility to continue with their existing language combinations.

Defending the constitutional validity of the policy, the CBSE submitted that its May 15 circular was neither arbitrary nor discriminatory and did not violate the fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 14, 19, 21, 21A or 29 of the Constitution.

In its affidavit, the NCERT said the revised language framework was intended to promote competency-based learning, multilingual education, age-appropriate pedagogy and greater appreciation of India's linguistic diversity.

It said learning resource material for the third language for Class IX had been prepared in all 22 Scheduled Languages. Materials for Hindi, Sanskrit, Marathi and Urdu had already been developed and uploaded on the NCERT website, while work on the remaining languages was underway.