All Kendriya Vidyalayas will be required to maintain at least one Sanskrit section in classes 6 and 9 from the 2026-27 academic year under the new third-language framework introduced by the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS).
In a circular issued on May 29, KVS — the autonomous body under the Ministry of Education that runs Kendriya Vidyalayas — said schools should complete the process of collecting language preferences from students and parents.
Under the policy, students must study a third language (R3) in addition to Hindi (R1) and English (R2). The third language must be either Sanskrit or a regional or state language listed among India's scheduled languages.
"Students can opt for either Sanskrit or the regional language based on their preference. The requirement is only that there should be at least one Sanskrit section in every school to facilitate the children of transferable employees," a senior official said.
The KVS has also asked schools to upload data on students' language choices through the Samagam portal so that staffing requirements can be reassessed.
According to the circular, schools must separately submit data for Sanskrit and regional-language sections in classes 6 and 9, based on the language selected by students. "Students opting for the same R3 language must be kept in same section for the smooth conduct of classes," the circular said.
The document outlines how schools should organise sections depending on student numbers.
Schools with only one section may create separate Sanskrit and regional-language batches if at least 15 students choose each option.
Schools with two sections may maintain one Sanskrit section and one regional-language section.
Where there are three sections, principals can decide how to distribute students based on language preferences. However, the circular says that at least one Sanskrit section must be maintained in each class.
The move comes weeks after the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) announced that Class 9 students would be required to study three languages from July 1, including at least two native Indian languages.
The changes are part of efforts to align the curriculum with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023.
Under CBSE guidelines issued on May 15, students may choose a foreign language only after studying two Indian languages, either as their third language or as an additional fourth language.
The board said no Class 10 board examination would be conducted for the third language in order to reduce academic pressure on students.
It also said that until dedicated third-language textbooks become available, Class 9 students will continue to use the Class 8 textbooks for their chosen language during the 2026-27 academic year.