Chennai: Students studying in Kendriya Vidyalaya schools across Tamil Nadu will now have an opportunity to learn Tamil as a third language under the three-language framework being implemented in accordance with the National Education Policy (NEP), sources said.

The policy has come into effect from the current academic year in Kendriya Vidyalayas functioning under the Central government as well as in CBSE-affiliated schools.

Under the revised framework, students from Classes 3 to 9 in Kendriya Vidyalaya schools in Tamil Nadu can opt for either Tamil or Sanskrit as their third language, teachers said.

According to school authorities, students and parents have been informed about the language options available under the new system and are being encouraged to choose one of the two languages.

The development assumes significance amid continuing opposition by the Tamil Nadu government to the Centre's three-language policy under the NEP.

Until now, many students studying in Kendriya Vidyalayas in Tamil Nadu did not have the option of learning Tamil within the school curriculum, parents said.

Several parents have welcomed the move, stating that the inclusion of Tamil as a language option would help students studying in Central government schools remain connected to the state's linguistic and cultural roots.

The implementation of the three-language policy has triggered political debate in Tamil Nadu, with the ruling dispensation repeatedly expressing concerns over language imposition and the impact of the policy on the state's long-standing two-language system.