CHENNAI: Striking a distinct stand on the touchy topic of languages, BJP leader K Annamalai on Tuesday urged the Union Education Ministry to immediately roll back its notification making three languages compulsory for Class 11 students from the upcoming academic year, and instead stick to its previous commitment to introduce the mandate only from the 2029-30 academic year.
In a notification dated May 15, the CBSE directed all affiliated schools to introduce a third compulsory language for Class 11 students from the current academic year, advancing the deadline from the previously set 2029-30.
"This has come as a shock to many parents, especially those from Tamil Nadu, as their children have already selected a language of choice in Class 6. The revised notification now mandates that Class 11 students learn three languages, two of which must be native to India, with effect from July 1, 2026.
Expecting a Class 11 student to learn a new language at such short notice will only pressurise children and affect their overall learning outcomes," he said in a social media post.
When the board announced the three-language formula in April, Annamalai was among the few leaders from Tamil Nadu to back it, arguing that it would help broaden children’s understanding of India's diverse literary landscape.
The same notification had explicitly stated that it would be made compulsory only from the 2029-30 academic year, he pointed out.
The dissonant note came days after posters cropped across Chennai supporting Annamalai, and amid the sub-surface feud for leadership within the State unit of the BJP.