Pralhad Joshi reviews CBSE reforms on efficiency and transparency

Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi convened a meeting with senior officials from the Department of School Education and Literacy to discuss key issues related to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), emphasising measures to enhance academic, examination, and administrative processes.

Joshi stated on X that the meeting reviewed priorities for strengthening CBSE’s operations, with a focus on greater efficiency, transparency, and improved support for students and teachers.

The discussions took place amid ongoing debates concerning the implementation of CBSE’s three-language policy for Class 9 students under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

On August 20, the Supreme Court questioned several aspects of the policy, including the availability of textbooks and qualified teachers, the potential burden on students, and the uniformity of language requirements across schools. The bench, led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant alongside Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, was hearing petitions challenging the policy.

Petitioners raised concerns about the availability of learning materials and teaching staff for Indian languages prescribed by the scheme. The court was informed that some schools had yet to receive textbooks for certain languages.

Senior advocate Anand Grover questioned how students could be expected to learn a new language without essential learning materials. In response, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, representing the CBSE and the Centre, stated that the scheme includes internal assessments and that Class 9 students would not face failure solely due to the additional language requirement.

The bench clarified that students currently studying foreign languages such as French would not be required to discontinue them. Chief Justice Surya Kant emphasised that “there was no question of boycotting languages taught earlier” and highlighted the importance of respecting all languages.

The court also examined issues related to teacher availability, particularly for languages such as Sanskrit, and questioned the broader administrative implementation of the policy. Bhati submitted that 99.19 percent of CBSE schools were already compliant with the requirement to teach two Indian languages, with approximately 235 schools remaining non-compliant.

The Supreme Court indicated that the policy would be examined from constitutional and practical perspectives, including language classification, teacher availability, textbook provision, and the overall burden placed on students.

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