At stake is more than just a school subject. The 1956 Treaty of Cession between India and France had guaranteed the preservation of French as an official language in Puducherry.

A CBSE circular mandating the implementation of the National Education Policy's three-language formula has triggered a political row in Puducherry, with French a language central to the Union Territory's colonial identity facing a near-certain exit from school curriculum.

The circular, dated April 9, directs all CBSE-affiliated schools to introduce two Indian languages and one foreign language from Class 6 onwards. Since most Puducherry schools are English-medium, the policy effectively leaves no space for French, the opposition alleges. Schools were given just seven days to comply.

The move has drawn sharp criticism across party lines. Former Chief Minister V Narayanasamy slammed the rushed timeline, saying, "CBSE saying we should do this in one week is an anti-democratic action." He further accused the ruling NR-BJP of staying silent on what he called Hindi imposition. "Since the NR-BJP is in power, they are not opposing the imposition. As we expected, they are imposing Hindi now," he said.

Narayanasamy was unequivocal in his opposition, stating, "The Modi government is trying to make Hindi compulsory from 6th grade and the NR Congress is agreeing to it. We condemn it and will never accept it." He also flagged the timing of the circular, adding, "Now when we are waiting for poll results, this should not be done by CBSE in this period. After the new government forms, we will definitely not allow it as the people of Puducherry are against Hindi imposition."

AIADMK chief Anbazhagan also weighed in, pointing fingers at previous governments for the current confusion. "Since the former DMK-Congress government in Puducherry did not take a proper decision regarding the two-language policy in education, we are now in a confusion over the new CBSE circular," he said. He further urged the central government to bring clarity, adding, "The government releasing information regarding education is creating confusion amongst students. The government should take a firm stand on this."

At stake is more than just a school subject. The 1956 Treaty of Cession between India and France had guaranteed the preservation of French as an official language in Puducherry. Students entering Class 6 in the 2026-27 academic year will be the first affected, with French expected to be fully phased out by 2030. Amid the uproar, stakeholders and parents have begun exploring whether Puducherry should form its own education board to safeguard its unique linguistic legacy.