In Mumbai, the mandatory inclusion of English in the curriculum from 1st to 12th standard is now being relaxed. The new state syllabus indicates that English will no longer be obligatory in 11th and 12th grades, creating uncertainty about its status up to class 10. The state syllabus, aligned with the National Education Policy, emphasizes mother tongue and Indian languages. It proposes offering foreign language education as an option while making education in mother tongue or local language compulsory from 3rd to 12th standard.
Additionally, students are required to learn a second language from 3rd to 5th grades, with English no longer specified as the mandatory choice. The proposed framework suggests choosing any language other than the first one, specifying mother tongue as the first language, any Indian language as the second, and any foreign language as the third from 6th to 10th grade. While students can still opt to learn English, it is no longer a compulsory subject.
In classes XI and XII, students must learn two languages, one Indian and the other either Indian or foreign, with the previous English requirement removed. The scheme does not clearly state whether English will be mandatory or optional in the future.