Class 9 students in Delhi have received significant relief. The Directorate of Education has withdrawn a provision regarding the third language (R3—Regional Language/Third Language) that could have made it difficult for students failing to qualify in R3 in Class 9 to appear for the Class 10 board examinations. Now, a student will not be barred from taking the Class 10 board exam solely on the grounds of not qualifying in the R3 subject. This decision by the Directorate of Education is expected to bring relief to a large number of Class 9 students studying in Delhi’s government and recognized schools.
Old provision removed via a correction
The Delhi Directorate of Education has issued a correction in this matter, removing the provision included in the earlier order. Now, CBSE rules regarding the third language (R3) in Class 9 will apply. This means students must still study the third language in Class 9, and its assessment will continue. However, a student’s performance in R3 will not act as a separate barrier to their eligibility for the Class 10 board examination. In other words, if a student fails to qualify in R3 in Class 9, they will not be prevented from appearing in the Class 10 board exam for that reason alone. This brings great relief to students and parents who were concerned about board exam eligibility due to poor performance in the third language.
What was the earlier provision?
The Directorate of Education’s initial order contained a provision regarding R3 that could have complicated matters for students failing to qualify in the third language in Class 9, potentially affecting their further studies and eligibility for the Class 10 board exam. This provision has now been removed in the issued correction. Consequently, while the study and assessment of R3 will continue, it has been delinked from eligibility for the Class 10 board examination. Other rules regarding promotion from Class 9 to 10 and the board examination will remain in effect as before.
Why was the R3 rule withdrawn?
The Delhi Directorate of Education had recently made changes to the Class 9 examination and promotion policy. Under this provision, if a student failed to qualify in the third language (R3) but met all other criteria for promotion, they could still be promoted to Class 10. However, the same order stipulated that such a student would be required to pass R3 in Class 10 to become eligible to appear for the Class 10 board examination. This specific condition created confusion among students, parents, and schools.
In reality, CBSE regulations do not directly link performance in the third language to eligibility for the Class 10 board examination. Consequently, the additional eligibility condition regarding R3 introduced by the Delhi Directorate of Education appeared to diverge from existing CBSE rules. To clarify the situation, the Directorate of Education has now issued a correction withdrawing the board exam eligibility condition linked to R3. While the study and assessment of R3 in Class 9 will continue as before, a student will no longer be barred from appearing for the Class 10 board examination solely on the grounds of not qualifying in R3.
What is the R3 rule under CBSE’s three-language policy?
CBSE implemented a three-language system for Classes 9 and 10 in May. This change was introduced in accordance with the recommendations of the National Education Policy (NEP) and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE). The new language system came into effect on July 1. Under this system, students are required to study three languages, with at least two of them being Indian languages. The third language is designated as R3, and its assessment will be conducted internally at the school level.
No separate board exam for R3
A crucial point regarding R3 is that there will be no separate board examination for it in Class 10. The third language will be assessed at the school level, and the marks obtained in R3 will be included in the student’s final CBSE certificate. However, these R3 marks will have no bearing on the student’s eligibility to appear for the Class 10 board examination. In other words, even if a student fails to meet expectations in R3, they cannot be barred from the Class 10 board examination solely on this ground.
For this reason, the Directorate of Education, Delhi, has issued a correction withdrawing the additional eligibility condition regarding R3 that was included in its earlier order. Now, rules aligned with the CBSE’s three-language policy will apply in this matter. Under the new system, students will be required to study a third language in Class 9 and undergo its assessment. While marks for R3 will be recorded on the certificate, they will not be linked to eligibility for appearing in the Class 10 board examination.
Rule withdrawn, but R3 study remains mandatory
The withdrawal of the eligibility condition linked to R3 does not mean that the third language has been removed from the Class 9 curriculum. In Delhi’s revised system, R3 will continue to be a mandatory component of Class 9, and students will be required to study it. Assessment of the third language will also continue at the school level; students must study R3 and participate in the prescribed assessment process. However, failure in this subject will not affect eligibility to appear for the Class 10 board examination.
Promotion in Class 9 based on 6 subjects
Changes have also been made to the Class 9 examination and promotion system in Delhi, effective from the 2026-27 academic session.
