{
  "id": 2202781,
  "title": "English indigenous or foreign language? Supreme Court for examining constitutionality",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/20/english-indigenous-or-foreign-language-supreme-court-for-examining",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-20T18:56:55.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express",
    "slug": "the-indian-express",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/legal-news/english-indigenous-or-foreign-language-supreme-court-for-examining-constitutionality-10842489/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Supreme Court deliberated on Thursday whether treating English as a \"non-indigenous\" language under CBSE’s three-language policy is appropriate, considering its deep roots in Indian society. The court, during a hearing of petitions challenging the CBSE’s decision to implement the three-language formula under the National Education Policy (NEP) from 2026-27, made the observation. A three-judge bench, led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and consisting of Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, also asked the Board to clarify if Class 6 students can be exempted from the policy, given that infrastructure is not yet fully prepared. Some petitioners argued that labeling English as a non-native language is causing difficulties for students. Responding to this, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, representing CBSE, stated that English is an official language under the Constitution and cannot be treated as either foreign or native. Justice Bagchi expressed concern that the term \"native\" carries a colonial implication and suggested that the historical significance of English in India should be considered when determining its classification as indigenous or non-indigenous. Bhati acknowledged that \"non-native\" is a term from the new education policy and acknowledged the framers' awareness of their word choices. Justice Bagchi questioned whether the policy should consider scaling down the requirement for Class 6 students, given the limited availability of qualified teachers for the new languages. The judge emphasized that the NEP's policy of starting with the mother tongue, followed by another indigenous language and a third language (which could be indigenous or foreign), is a positive move. However, the court acknowledged the need for more time for schools to prepare for the additional language requirements, particularly regarding teacher qualifications.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}