CBSE announces major curriculum overhaul with mandatory three-language policy and AI education rollout from 2026-27

New Delhi: The Central Board of Secondary Education has announced a sweeping overhaul of its curriculum framework, which includes compulsory language learning from the sixth standard and AI language. Set to take effect from the 2026-27 academic year across more than 32,900 affiliated schools, the reforms are in line with the National Education Policy 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework 2023. 

Ranging from language instruction, technology education, skill development, and assessment design, the reforms represent one of the most significant restructurings of school education in recent years. A key reform is the introduction of a new three-language learning mandate, made compulsory from Class 6, alongside the introduction of skill-based subjects for students in Classes 9 and 10. 

New interdisciplinary offerings, including a subject titled ‘Individual in Society’. CBSE said the framework would also incorporate vocational exposure at the secondary level, with the stated aim of reducing student dependence on private coaching institutes for competitive exam preparation. 

Computational thinking and artificial intelligence will be introduced for Classes 3 through 8 beginning next year, with students receiving between 50 and 100 structured hours annually depending on their grade.

The programme will be delivered through activity-based methods including puzzles, games, and projects and will cover concepts such as logical reasoning, pattern recognition, and the ethical dimensions of technology use. From 2027-28, AI will be incorporated into the secondary school curriculum, with board-level assessments in the subject expected by 2029, marking one of the largest AI education rollouts in the country.

CBSE has described the rollout as phased, with different components coming into effect across 2026-27 and subsequent years. The changes will affect teaching methods, learning materials, and evaluation formats, requiring significant reorientation across the board’s affiliated network.