A Lok Sabha parliamentary panel has flagged that schools were not given enough time to prepare for introducing the third language from Class 6 onwards under NEP 2020. The committee cited gaps in teacher recruitment, study materials and language selection clarity, and recommended faster resource development and distribution.

Panel said schools needed more time to prepare for third language, citing gap in teacher recruitment and language resources

A parliamentary panel has pointed out that schools have not been provided enough time to prepare for the introduction of third language Class 6 onwards, noting that recruitment of language staff, availability of study material and clarity on language selection led to stress to students, teachers, parents and the school authorities. The observations are part of the Tenth Report of the Committee on Estimates (2026-27) on "Budget and Policy aspects for providing Affordable and Quality Education in the Country including Review of Central Board of Secondary Education" presented to Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

Steps under NEP 2020

The committee noted that the Union Ministry of Education has taken extensive, practical steps under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 to promote mother tongue-based instruction and multilingualism in early school grades. It said the ministry has successfully collaborated with states/UTs and specialised bodies to establish structural changes like the flexible three-language formula and the new "R1, R2, R3" language framework. The ministry has achieved notable progress by translating core discipline textbooks like mathematics, science and social sciences into all 22 scheduled languages, alongside creating bridge courses and e-contents for smooth curriculum transitions, the committee noted.