Chennai: Former Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai has urged the Union Education Ministry to immediately withdraw a CBSE circular that makes a third language compulsory for Class 9 students from the current academic year.
In a statement, Annamalai recalled that in April, CBSE had announced a three-language requirement from Class 6, with two of the languages to be Indian languages. He said he had welcomed that decision, arguing it could help children understand India’s diverse literary and cultural heritage at an early age.
He pointed out that the April communication had also clearly stated that making the third language compulsory for Class 9 CBSE students would be implemented only from the 2029–30 academic year.
However, he said CBSE later issued a circular to all affiliated schools on May 15, stating that the Class 9 third-language requirement would begin in the current academic year, with implementation from July. Annamalai said the sudden change had shocked parents in Tamil Nadu, as students had already chosen their preferred language options from Class 6.
Calling the short notice unreasonable, he warned that expecting Class 9 students to take up an additional new language could cause unnecessary mental stress and affect overall academic performance. He demanded that the Centre restore the earlier timeline and implement the requirement only from 2029–30.
