Archive · 20 Aug 2026
Delhi Withdraws R3 Rule for Class 10 Board Eligibility
Delhi changed a rule about a third language called R3.
The old rule said students who did not pass R3 in Class 9 might not be allowed to take Class 10 board exams.
Students could still move to Class 10 if they met the other promotion requirements.
They were previously told they would need to pass R3 during Class 10.
That extra condition has now been removed.
Central Board of Secondary Education rules will decide how R3 is assessed.
Schools will assess R3, and its marks will be printed on the final certificate.
However, R3 marks alone will not stop a student from taking the Class 10 board exam.
Delhi withdrew a rule that could have barred Class 9 students from Class 10 board exams after failing R3, the third language.
Students may still be promoted to Class 10 under other promotion criteria, while Central Board of Secondary Education guidelines on R3 will prevail.
R3 will be assessed through school-based internal evaluation, and its marks will appear on the final certificate without affecting board-exam eligibility.
Classes 9 and 10 must include three languages, at least two of them Indian languages, under the policy effective July 1.
From 2026-27, Class 9 will add compulsory vocational education and end the Basic and Standard Mathematics exam structure; Artificial Intelligence becomes compulsory in 2027-28.
- Who
- The Delhi government, the Directorate of Education, the Central Board of Secondary Education, and students in Classes 9 and 10.
- What
- Delhi withdrew the provision linking failure in Class 9’s R3 third language to eligibility for Class 10 board examinations.
- When
- The withdrawal was announced in a corrigendum issued Tuesday; the three-language policy took effect July 1, with further curriculum changes scheduled for 2026-27 and 2027-28.
- Where
- Delhi schools following the Central Board of Secondary Education system.
- Why
- An official said the earlier provision was withdrawn because confusion had arisen over its interpretation.
Earlier Delhi Provision
Withdrawn Policy Under CBSE Rules
R3 and board eligibility
Earlier Delhi Provision
Students who failed to qualify in Class 9 R3 could be promoted if they met other criteria, but had to clear R3 in Class 10 to become eligible for the board examination.
Withdrawn Policy Under CBSE Rules
R3 performance will not determine eligibility for the Class 10 board examination under the Central Board of Secondary Education framework.
Assessment method
Earlier Delhi Provision
The Delhi revision made R3 compulsory and provided for school-level assessment, while also linking the subject to later board eligibility.
Withdrawn Policy Under CBSE Rules
R3 remains subject to school-based internal evaluation, with no separate Class 10 board examination for the third language.
- Withdrawn condition
- Failure to qualify in R3 will no longer by itself affect eligibility for the Class 10 board examination.
- R3 assessment
- R3 will be assessed through school-based internal evaluation, without a separate Class 10 board examination for the subject.
- Certificate record
- R3 marks will appear on the final Central Board of Secondary Education certificate.
- Language requirement
- Students in Classes 9 and 10 must study three languages, with at least two being Indian languages.
- Class 9 core subjects
- Language-1, Language-2, Mathematics, Science, Social Science, and Vocational Education, or Kaushal Vikas.
- Mathematics change
- The Class 9 Basic and Standard Mathematics examination structure will end from the 2026-27 academic session, while continuing for Class 10 in 2026-27.
- Artificial Intelligence timeline
- Computational Thinking and Artificial Intelligence will be introduced as structured modules in 2026-27 and become compulsory from 2027-28.
Sources
Delhi government withdraws Class 9 rule linking R3 pass to Class 10 board eligibility
Delhi Withdraws R3 Rule; Class 9 Students Can Take Class 10 Board, Read Details
Delhi Govt Withdraws Class 9 Rule Linking R3 Third Language to Class 10 Board Eligibility
