Annamalai opposes centre on three-language policy

Chennai: Former BJP state president K Annamalai on Tuesday took a surprising stand, opposing the BJP-led Union govt on the issue of three-language policy by insisting that the CBSE withdraw its recent notification on the policy.

Annamalai on X said the CBSE notification issued on May 15 violated its previous notices on the three-language policy.

“In April 2026, it was explicitly mentioned that the third language for Class IX children studying in CBSE schools will be made compulsory only from the academic year 2029-30. On May 15, however, the CBSE sent a notification to all affiliated schools introducing the third compulsory language for Class IX students from this academic year itself,” he said.





He added that expecting a Class IX student to learn a new language in a short time will only pressure children and affect their overall learning outcomes.

In April 2026, the CBSE announced that three languages for Class VI students shall be made compulsory, and two of the three must be native to India. Annamalai had welcomed the decision, saying, “allowing children to learn multiple languages from a young age would help them broaden their understanding of India’s diverse literary landscape”.