New Delhi: In a relief to lakhs of CBSE students studying in Classes 7 to 9 who have opted for two foreign languages under the three-language policy, they will be allowed to continue with the existing language combination till Class 10, officials said on Friday.

The development comes over a month after the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) announced that the study of three languages, including at least two native Indian languages, would be compulsory for Class 9 students from July 1.

Several students and parents had approached the court against the CBSE order.

"The requirement of studying at least two Indian languages under the new language policy will be implemented prospectively from Class 6 and will not be applied retrospectively to students already studying in Classes 7 to 9," a senior board official said.

"An official notification clarifying the same will be issued soon," the official added.

The CBSE had said in May that until the dedicated R3 textbooks are available, Class 9 students would use the Class 6 R3 textbooks (2026-27 edition) of the chosen language.

The move is part of the CBSE's alignment of its scheme of studies with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023.

According to a circular issued on May 15, students opting for a foreign language may do so only as the third language after studying two native Indian languages or as an additional fourth language.

In April, the CBSE announced the phased implementation of the three-language formula from Class 6 and the introduction of a two-level system for mathematics and science in Class 9 from the 2026-27 academic session.

Under the proposed structure, mathematics and science will have two levels -- mandatory standard and optional advanced. While all students will appear for a common 80-mark examination, those opting for higher proficiency can take an additional advanced-level paper aimed at testing deeper conceptual understanding and higher-order thinking skills.

The CBSE had then said the first Class 10 board examinations under the new two-level system would be conducted in 2028 for the students who enter Class 9 in the 2026-27 academic session.