CBSE Third Language List: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has issued guidelines to fully implement the ‘three-language formula’ in schools starting from the 2026-27 academic session. Based on the recommendations of the National Education Policy (NEP 2020), the primary objective of this new policy is to promote Indian languages and enhance the language-learning experience for students. With the introduction of this new rule, the process of selecting languages and the method of study are set to undergo a significant transformation. Let us take a look at the languages included under this third-language provision.
What is the new three-language formula?
According to the new CBSE regulations, students will now be required to study three languages during their school education. However, the Board has designed the policy to be flexible and engaging rather than burdensome.
Two Indian languages mandatory
Of the three languages selected by the student, at least two must be of Indian origin.
Option for the third language
Students may choose a non-Indian or foreign language as their third language only if the other two languages selected are of Indian origin.
Which languages can students choose?
Hindi
English
Sanskrit
Bengali
Tamil
Telugu
Marathi
Gujarati
Kannada
Malayalam
Punjabi
Urdu
Assamese
Odia
French
German
Spanish
Japanese
Arabic
Russian
Korean
Chinese (Mandarin)
