The Supreme Court of India this week directed the Rajasthan government to introduce Rajasthani as a compulsory subject in all government and private schools across the state, in a landmark ruling that has put the national debate on regional languages and the Three-Language Formula squarely back in the spotlight.
What the Court Said?
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, in an order calling for a comprehensive, time-bound policy, demanded a compliance report from the state by September 30. The court did not mince words. Justices Nath and Mehta stated that “the ability to understand and be understood in one’s own language is not a matter of convenience, but a matter of existential rights.”
The court also made its displeasure clear, observing: “This Court cannot remain a silent spectator to a stark dilution of rights so clearly recognized in the Constitution, statutes and binding precedents.”
What Triggered This Case For Rajasthani Language?
The petition, filed by Padma Mehta and others, sought directions to include Rajasthani in the syllabus of the Rajasthan Eligibility Examination for Teachers (REET) and to recognise Rajasthani as a language of education in schools. The Rajasthan High Court had earlier dismissed the plea, saying it was a policy matter. The Supreme Court disagreed.
The court pointed out a major contradiction: Rajasthani is already being taught as a subject in several universities across the state, like the University of Rajasthan, Jai Narain Vyas University and Maharaja Ganga Singh University. If the language is considered academically sound enough for university study, the court reasoned, there is no logical reason why it should not be included in school education.
How the CBSE 3-Language System Connects?
This ruling comes at a particularly significant time. With effect from the 2026-27 academic session, CBSE has restructured the Three-Language Formula under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The new curriculum organises languages through three levels, R1, R2, and R3.
R1 is any language offered by CBSE, R2 must be different from R1, and R3 must be different from both. The board mandates that students from Class 6 onward will study R3, so that by the end of Class 8, every student has studied three languages. Critically, at least two of the three languages must be Indian languages.
Does the new 3-language rule mean English is being removed from CBSE?
English is not being removed, contrary to viral WhatsApp forwards doing the rounds. It simply sits as one of the three slots, R1, R2, or R3. Parents worried about English being “banned” can breathe easy. It is fully available and widely chosen. What has changed is that a regional or mother tongue language now has a guaranteed slot alongside it.
The Real Debate: Hindi Imposition or Regional Revival?
This is where politics get interesting. Critics, particularly from South India, have long argued that the Three-Language Formula is a soft vehicle for Hindi promotion.They pointed that there is a common practice among Hindi-speaking states to teach Hindi, English, and Sanskrit, which allows students to familiarize themselves with the language.
In contrast, Tamil Nadu has historically resisted the formula entirely, insisting on a two-language policy of Tamil and English.
The Rajasthan ruling, however, flips the script slightly. By insisting that Rajasthani, a language not even in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, deserves space in classrooms, the court is signalling that regional and local languages have constitutional weight of their own. The state’s own stand was that only languages included in the Eighth Schedule were being taught as additional languages in government primary and upper primary schools. The court called this position rigid and short-sighted.
Is This Three-Language Formula a New Idea?
Not Really! The Three-Language Formula is not a product of NEP 2020. It dates back to the National Education Commission of 1964-66, also known as the Kothari Commission, and was formally part of the National Education Policy of 1968. The idea has been around for nearly six decades. What NEP 2020 has done is give it a fresh push, a legal architecture through CBSE’s R1-R2-R3 system, and a deadline for schools to comply.
The Rajasthan Assembly had already passed a resolution in August 2003 recommending the inclusion of Rajasthani in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. More than two decades have passed since then. The Supreme Court has now effectively told the state to stop waiting for constitutional recognition and start acting in classrooms.
Who will build the content for Rajasthani & other 22+ regional languages?
For EdTech companies and educational publishers, this ruling and the broader NEP push present a significant opportunity. Rajasthani alone is spoken by approximately 4.36 crore people, according to the 2011 Census.
Across India’s 22 scheduled languages and dozens of regional dialects, there is an acute shortage of digital learning content, qualified teachers, and standardised textbooks. Until NCERT develops level-specific textbooks, the same books will be used for R1 and R2 levels, though assessment and syllabus will differ. That gap is a business opportunity waiting to be filled.
When will Rajasthani language be implemented?
“State of Rajasthan to file compliance affidavit by September 25, 2026. Matter to come up for further hearing on September 30, 2026.” Whether the government moves swiftly or drags its feet, as it has for decades, remains to be seen. What is clear is that the question of mother tongue education is no longer just an academic or political conversation.
It is now a matter the highest court in the land has stepped into, and it will shape what millions of Indian schoolchildren learn, and in which language, for years to come