Former Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president K. Annamalai has called on the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to withdraw a circular making a third language compulsory for Class IX students from the 2025–26 academic year, warning that the abrupt policy shift would impose undue academic pressure on students and financial stress on parents. The demand, made via a post on his X account, comes amid heightened sensitivity over language policy in Tamil Nadu.

What the April 2026 Notification Said

When CBSE issued its original notification in April 2026, it introduced a three-language framework for students from Class VI onwards, requiring at least two of the three languages to be Indian languages. Annamalai had at the time publicly welcomed the move, stating it would give children meaningful access to India's literary and cultural heritage from an early age.

Crucially, the April 2026 notification had specified that the three-language requirement for Class IX students would come into force only from the 2029–30 academic year — giving schools, students, and parents a multi-year runway to prepare.

The May 15 Circular That Changed Everything

According to Annamalai, CBSE issued a fresh circular to all affiliated schools on 15 May 2026, effectively advancing the deadline by three years. Under the revised directive, Class IX students would be required to study three languages — including two Indian languages — beginning 1 July 2026, the start of the current academic year.

The revised circular, he alleged, came as a shock to parents who had already enrolled their children with a two-language course selection when they joined Class VI. Those students are now in Class IX and would be expected to add a third language mid-stream, with little preparation time.

Annamalai's Core Objections

Annamalai argued that forcing students to suddenly take up an additional language within weeks of the academic year beginning could meaningfully harm their overall performance. He described the revised circular as a deviation from the Board's own stated timeline and urged CBSE to reconsider and formally withdraw the 15 May notification.

His intervention carries particular resonance in Tamil Nadu, where debates over language policy — especially around Hindi imposition — have historically triggered political and social flashpoints. Notably, this is not the first time a centrally driven language directive has drawn pushback from the state's political class across party lines.

Broader Context and What Comes Next

The three-language formula has been a recurring point of friction between the Centre and southern states, particularly Tamil Nadu, since the drafting of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Critics argue that while the policy is framed as promoting multilingualism, its implementation timelines and compulsory nature disproportionately affect states with strong regional-language identities.

As of now, CBSE has not publicly responded to Annamalai's demand. Schools affiliated with the Board in Tamil Nadu are awaiting clarity on whether the 15 May circular will be modified or withdrawn ahead of the 1 July 2026 deadline.