UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Ease three-language rule for Class 6, SC tells CBSE

Q1. With reference to the language provisions of the National Education Policy, 2020, consider the following: 1. At least two of the three languages studied by a child must be native to India. 2. The medium of instruction till at least Grade 5, and preferably till Grade 8, is to be the home language, mother tongue, local language or regional language. 3. The particular three languages to be learnt are left to the choice of States, regions and the students themselves. 4. All three languages studied must be drawn from the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. At least two of the three languages studied by a child must be native to India.
  2. The medium of instruction till at least Grade 5, and preferably till Grade 8, is to be the home language, mother tongue, local language or regional language.
  3. The particular three languages to be learnt are left to the choice of States, regions and the students themselves.
  4. All three languages studied must be drawn from the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
  • A. 1 and 4 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q2. The three-language formula, reaffirmed by the National Education Policy 2020, was first enunciated as national policy in which one of the following?

  • A. The National Policy on Education, 1986, as revised in 1992
  • B. The National Curriculum Framework, 2005
  • C. The National Policy on Education, 1968
  • D. The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009

Q3. In August 2026, while dealing with CBSE's rollout of the three-language formula, the Supreme Court is reported to have taken the following positions: 1. That the current Class 6 batch be given a one-time reprieve from the mandatory third-language Class 10 Board examination. 2. That CBSE reconsider beginning the phased rollout from an earlier and lower class. 3. That CBSE, NCERT and the Centre prepare a roadmap on teacher availability, course material and infrastructure before further rollout. 4. That the three-language formula under NEP 2020 be struck down as constitutionally invalid, with CBSE restrained from implementing it in any class. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

  1. That the current Class 6 batch be given a one-time reprieve from the mandatory third-language Class 10 Board examination.
  2. That CBSE reconsider beginning the phased rollout from an earlier and lower class.
  3. That CBSE, NCERT and the Centre prepare a roadmap on teacher availability, course material and infrastructure before further rollout.
  4. That the three-language formula under NEP 2020 be struck down as constitutionally invalid, with CBSE restrained from implementing it in any class.
  • A. 1 and 4
  • B. 2 and 3
  • C. 3 only
  • D. 4 only

Q4. Under the reprieve from the mandatory third-language Board examination that the Supreme Court asked CBSE to grant in August 2026, how many class-cohorts were to be covered?

  • A. One — only the batch entering Class 6 in the 2026-27 academic session
  • B. Two — the batches entering Class 6 and Class 9 in the 2026-27 session
  • C. Four — all batches in Classes 6 to 9, exempted permanently from the requirement
  • D. None — every batch was required to appear, without any exception whatsoever

Q5. The placing of English within the 'foreign language' slot of the school three-language scheme, a classification the Supreme Court questioned in August 2026, was done by which one of the following?

  • A. The National Council of Educational Research and Training, under the Ministry of Education
  • B. The Central Institute of Indian Languages, under the Ministry of Education
  • C. The Central Board of Secondary Education, under the Ministry of Education
  • D. The Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education

Q6. With reference to CBSE's R1-R2-R3 language scheme for the 2026-27 session, consider the following: 1. The second language (R2) is to be chosen from among the 43 languages currently offered by the Board. 2. English falls in the foreign-language category, and as only one foreign language is permitted, most students end up retaining English as that one foreign language. 3. Students of Classes 7, 8 and 9 already studying two foreign languages were allowed to continue with the same combination up to Class 10. 4. The third language (R3) is to be assessed through a compulsory external Board examination at the Class 10 level. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. The second language (R2) is to be chosen from among the 43 languages currently offered by the Board.
  2. English falls in the foreign-language category, and as only one foreign language is permitted, most students end up retaining English as that one foreign language.
  3. Students of Classes 7, 8 and 9 already studying two foreign languages were allowed to continue with the same combination up to Class 10.
  4. The third language (R3) is to be assessed through a compulsory external Board examination at the Class 10 level.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1, 2 and 3 only
  • C. 2, 3 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 3 and 4 only

Q7. 'Education' was shifted from the State List to the Concurrent List of the Seventh Schedule by which one of the following?

  • A. The Constitution (Seventh Amendment) Act, 1956
  • B. The Constitution (Forty-second Amendment) Act, 1976
  • C. The Constitution (Forty-fourth Amendment) Act, 1978
  • D. The Constitution (Eighty-sixth Amendment) Act, 2002

Q8. On a Concurrent List subject such as education, where a State law and a Central law are in conflict, which one of the following states the constitutional position correctly?

  • A. The State law prevails if it happens to have been enacted later in point of time
  • B. The Central law prevails, Parliament having primacy on Concurrent List subjects
  • C. The State law prevails within that State, education being primarily a State responsibility
  • D. Neither prevails until the conflict is resolved by the Inter-State Council

Q9. The Steering Committee that developed the National Curriculum Framework for School Education released in 2023 was chaired by which one of the following?

  • A. Prof. Yash Pal, who had chaired the exercise behind the National Curriculum Framework, 2005
  • B. Shri T.S.R. Subramanian, who had chaired a committee for evolving a new education policy
  • C. Prof. K. Kasturirangan, who had chaired the committee that drafted the NEP, 2020
  • D. Prof. Anil Sahasrabudhe, who had chaired the All India Council for Technical Education

Q10. Consider the following statements comparing the National Curriculum Framework for School Education, 2023 with earlier curricular frameworks: 1. It covers the Foundational, Preparatory, Middle and Secondary Stages, whereas a separate framework for the Foundational Stage had been released in 2022. 2. It is aligned to the 5+3+3+4 design of schooling introduced by NEP 2020, in place of the earlier 10+2 structure. 3. Unlike earlier frameworks, it is binding in its entirety on every school board in the country, leaving States no discretion to prepare their own curricular frameworks. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. It covers the Foundational, Preparatory, Middle and Secondary Stages, whereas a separate framework for the Foundational Stage had been released in 2022.
  2. It is aligned to the 5+3+3+4 design of schooling introduced by NEP 2020, in place of the earlier 10+2 structure.
  3. Unlike earlier frameworks, it is binding in its entirety on every school board in the country, leaving States no discretion to prepare their own curricular frameworks.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q11. In the institutional architecture of Indian school education, the National Council of Educational Research and Training is best described as which one of the following?

  • A. A statutory body created by an Act of Parliament that affiliates schools and conducts national secondary and senior secondary examinations
  • B. A constitutional body that determines the medium of instruction and the language policy to be followed by schools across the States
  • C. An autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Education that prepares curriculum frameworks, syllabi and textbooks and advises the Centre and States
  • D. An attached office of the Department of School Education and Literacy that prescribes norms for teacher qualifications and teacher education

Q12. Between May and August 2026, on how many occasions did the Supreme Court stay the operation of CBSE's three-language notification?

  • A. None — it issued notice, declined interim relief and pressed for corrective measures instead
  • B. Once, when it stayed the Class 9 third-language requirement in June 2026
  • C. Twice, staying the Class 9 and the Class 6 requirements through separate orders
  • D. Thrice, the notification being stayed afresh at each successive hearing