The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is moving to implement the three‑language formula from Class 6, according to The Hindu. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 contains a three‑language formula, a fact confirmed across multiple news outlets.

The move has caused confusion across the country, led to teacher losses, disrupted curricula, and generated concerns from parents, students and foreign embassies, The Hindu reported.

On 6 March 2025 Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said the three‑language formula in NEP 2020 was a positive appraisal for the whole country, as reported by newsclick.in. The formula was first introduced in NEP 1968, which mandated teaching Hindi in non‑Hindi‑speaking states, also noted by newsclick.in. NEP 2020 does not impose any particular language on any state and allows state governments to choose particular languages, with the condition that two of the three languages are native to India, according to newsclick.in.

Tamil Nadu’s government has implemented a two‑language formula despite the 1968 policy, newsclick.in reported. The state has come under coercive influence from the Union to impose the policy in order to receive funds under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, and Tamil Nadu alleged the Union’s influence is a negative characterization for Hindi imposition, both cited from newsclick.in.