DARBHANGA, April 19 -- Residents in Bihar's Mithila region have welcomed the Central Board of Secondary Education's (CBSE) decision to list Maithili as a third-language option (R3) in the curriculum for Class VI students in the 2026-27 academic session. Under the revised multilingual education framework, aligned with the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCFSE) 2023, students from Class VI onwards will study three languages-R1, R2 and R3-that include two native Indian languages. The CBSE clarified that only languages introduced in Class VI will later remain available as subject options in Classes IX and X. The same batch of students will continue learning the language progressively up to Class X, with related board examination reforms expected by 2031. According to official sources, R1 (Primary) and R2 (Secondary) will be evaluated in board examinations, while R3 (Third language) will be assessed through school-based exams using rubrics prepared by the CBSE. A subject expert said a textbook for Class VI in Maithili is currently being finalised. Until official books are released, schools have been advised to use locally available teaching materials aligned with prescribed competencies. Maithili supporters called it a significant step for the language's promotion. In addition, educationists and language advocates described the move as a 'landmark initiative' to strengthen mother tongues and preserve the region's linguistic heritage. Hira Kumar Jha, chairman of Mahatma Gandhi Shikshan Sansthan (MGSS), a CBSE-affiliated school in Darbhanga, said the decision fulfilled a long-standing aspiration of Maithili speakers, adding that MGSS had already initiated efforts to update Maithili as an R3 option. "The inclusion of Maithili in the CBSE curriculum gives due recognition to one of India's richest literary and cultural languages," he said. Jha added that formal study of Maithili would help children learn to read and write in their mother tongue while deepening their connection with regional identity. "Language is the soul of culture. When children study Maithili formally in schools, they will grow with pride in their roots," he said. Through a circular dated April 9, 2026, CBSE directed affiliated schools to finalise the third-language options they plan to offer and submit details to their regional offices. Institutions must also update language preferences on the Online Affiliated School Information System (OASIS) portal, it said. Jha appealed to schools in Darbhanga, Madhubani, Samastipur, Sitamarhi and other Mithila districts to adopt Maithili as an approved R3 option. Maithili author Manikant Jha warned that failing to choose the language now would mean losing a major opportunity. Prof Jitendra Narayan, former dean of L N Mithila University, said the policy would create future opportunities in teaching, literature, translation and cultural studies. The move places Maithili alongside other scheduled Indian languages in the CBSE framework, ensuring representation of all 22 languages in the Constitution's Eighth Schedule. Rishi Raman, principal of Darbhanga's Kendriya Vidyalaya (KV) No. 1, noted that besides English and Hindi, Sanskrit is already taught as the third language in many KV institutions from Class VI to VIII. He said introducing Maithili in KVs may create some practical difficulties for students transferred outside the region. However, under KVS norms, if at least 15 students opt for a language, the school must arrange to offer it....