A new language policy introduced by the Central Board of Secondary Education has triggered concern among parents, students and school leaders across Delhi, particularly among those who have spent years studying foreign languages such as German and French.
Under the revised framework, which will come into effect from the 2026–27 academic session, students entering Class IX will have to study three languages, with at least two being native Indian languages. While foreign languages can still be taken as an optional fourth subject, many parents say the sudden shift could derail long-term academic and career plans.
For one Delhi family, the change has come as a major setback. A Class IX student at a private school had spent the last three years learning German with the hope of eventually studying engineering in Germany and working in the country’s renowned automobile sector.
“His dream was to study at a German university and work in one of the top automobile companies there. That’s why he started learning German from Class VI,” the student’s father told The Times of India (TOI). “Now we are being told he may have to switch to Sanskrit from scratch in Class IX. It feels unfair and disruptive.”
