The Supreme Court observed that introducing a third language only from Class IX could place an unnecessary academic burden on students who are already preparing for their board examinations.

The remarks were made by a bench comprising Justices B V Nagarathna and R Mahadevan while hearing an appeal filed by the Tamil Nadu government against a Madras High Court direction concerning the establishment of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas in every district of the state.

During the hearing, the bench noted that if a third language is to be taught, it would be more appropriate to introduce it from Class VI rather than waiting until Class IX.

Justice Nagarathna remarked that the earlier students begin learning an additional language, the better it would be for their overall education and language acquisition.

The Tamil Nadu government reiterated its objections to the three-language policy, maintaining that its concerns are linked to the broader policy framework.However, the Supreme Court clarified that the policy itself does not make Hindi compulsory.

According to the bench, the framework requires students to study the state's regional language, English, and any one additional language, without specifically mandating Hindi.

The judges also noted that petitions challenging aspects of the three-language policy are already pending before another Supreme Court bench headed by the Chief Justice of India.

The observations made during this hearing were therefore limited to the timing of introducing the third language and its possible impact on students, rather than delivering a final ruling on the validity of the policy itself.