Why CBSE's three-language framework is such a raging debate

Key points

• When schools reopen in July, thousands of Class 9 students across India will find something new on their timetables: a compulsory third language.
• For some, it may be an opportunity to learn the language of a neighbouring state, reconnect with a mother tongue or explore a culture beyond their own.
• For others, it may feel like one more subject added to an already packed academic schedule.
• The decision of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to make the three-language framework mandatory for Class 9 students, in line with the Education Policy (NEP) 2020, has reignited a debate that goes far beyond classrooms.
• India's linguistic richness is staggering.