Art education, physical education and wellbeing, vocational education and interdisciplinary studies will be compulsory.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Thursday released its new curriculum, which will be rolled out over the next few years.
The curriculum includes a compulsory third language from Class 6, a computational thinking (CT) and artificial intelligence (AI) course from Class 9, and optional advanced mathematics and science assessments in Class 10.
The overhaul will also make art education, physical education and wellbeing, vocational education and interdisciplinary studies compulsory as part of the Board's transition to a new framework aligned with the National Education Policy 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023.
The CBSE has uploaded the new curricula on its web site.
Speaking at the launch of the framework, CBSE Chairman Rahul Singh said the Board has begun preparing textbooks and curricular structures for the transition, with several reforms already being implemented for the cohort entering Class 9 this academic year.
"Textbooks for CT and AI for Class 9 are being readied, and are almost ready for implementation. We will introduce the textbooks for Class 9 next year for the 2027-2028 academic year," Singh said.
The revised curriculum will then extend to Class 10, while at the senior secondary level, it is likely to be introduced as two electives in Classes 11 and 12, added Singh.
Under the plan, CT and AI will become a compulsory subject in Class 9 from the 2027-2028 session, with the first cohort appearing for board examinations in 2029.
A day before detailing the broader curriculum overhaul, the CBSE launched a new curriculum on CT and AI for Classes 3 to 8, marking the formal introduction of structured AI education in early schooling.
Language education will also be restructured through a three-language system, with varying proficiency levels.
Students will study languages at R1, R2 and R3 levels, with R1 representing the highest proficiency.
As part of the rollout, R3-level textbooks will be introduced in Class 6 as a compulsory subject from the 2026-2027 academic session.
The cohort beginning with these textbooks will progress each year and reach Class 10 in 2031 for the first board exam under this structure.
For students entering Class 9 this year, the transition will begin with revised language textbooks at R1 and R2 levels.
The first board examinations under this framework will take place in 2028.
The CBSE is also introducing optional advanced mathematics and science components for the cohort entering Class 9 this year.
The courses will include additional learning material and higher-order thinking questions prepared by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).
Students may opt for advanced mathematics, advanced science, both subjects, or neither.
Those choosing the advanced track will take an additional one-hour assessment at the end of Class 10.
Students scoring above roughly 50 per cent will have the achievement recorded on their mark-sheet, while those who do not clear the assessment will not face penalties, said Singh.
The first cohort to appear for the advanced-level assessment will be in 2028, and the Board plans to extend the framework to senior secondary classes in the future.
The revised framework also makes art education and physical education compulsory, with textbooks introduced for both subjects.
Some existing optional subjects in these areas may be discontinued.
The CBSE is also expanding language offerings by introducing Maithili, Santhali, Dogri and Konkani at the Class 9 level this year, making all languages listed in the Constitution available in the curriculum.
Assessment patterns will remain largely unchanged in subjects such as social science, despite revised textbooks.
However, the four compulsory subjects -- art education, physical education and wellbeing, vocational education, and interdisciplinary studies -- will be assessed through internal examinations.
The reforms will be implemented in phases as new textbooks, courses, and assessments are rolled out over the coming years.
Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff