CBSE Legal Studies Update: Repeal of Triple Talaq, Section 377, Sedition Law, and New Criminal Codes

CBSE to overhaul Class 11 and 12 Legal Studies curriculum with key legal reforms including Triple Talaq repeal, Section 377 abolition, and the introduction of BNS, BNSS, and BSA.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is set to implement a significant overhaul of its Legal Studies curriculum for Classes XI and XII, aiming to align school education with India’s evolving legal landscape. The decision, approved by the CBSE Curriculum Committee and ratified by its Governing Body in June 2025, comes in response to major legal reforms and landmark court judgments introduced in recent years.

CBSE has announced that the updated curriculum will incorporate topics such as the repeal of triple talaq, the abolition of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, the removal of sedition laws, and the introduction of three new criminal codes — the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and Bhartiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) — which were enacted between 2023 and 2024 to replace colonial-era laws.

What’s Changing in the Curriculum?

According to official records, CBSE plans to revise the Legal Studies textbooks to reflect the following:

• Key provisions of the BNS, BNSS, and BSA

  These are the newly introduced criminal laws that replace the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), and the Indian Evidence Act.

  • BNS = Replaces IPC

  • BNSS = Replaces CrPC

  • BSA = Replaces Indian Evidence Act

    
    

• Landmark legal judgments and evolving legal doctrines, such as those impacting fundamental rights and civil liberties.

  
  

• Outdated or repealed laws, including:

  • Section 377 IPC: A British-era law from 1861 that criminalized "carnal intercourse against the order of nature." It was used to target the LGBTQ+ community and was read down by the Supreme Court in 2018.

  • Sedition (Section 124A IPC): Struck down due to misuse and violation of freedom of speech.

  • Triple Talaq: Declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 2017 and later criminalized through the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019.

    
    

• A more engaging, student-friendly pedagogy in line with the goals of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which encourages critical thinking, contemporary relevance, and practical understanding.

Background and Importance for Students

CBSE first introduced Legal Studies as an elective in Class XI in 2013 and Class XII in 2014. Over time, it has grown from a niche subject to a meaningful option for students interested in law, governance, public policy, and social justice.

However, the textbooks — last updated in 2022–23 — have struggled to keep pace with fast-moving developments in India’s legal system. The last revision added relevant topics such as:

• The POSH Act, 2013 (Prevention of Sexual Harassment at Workplace)

• Right to Information (RTI) Act

• Consumer Protection Act

• Intellectual Property Rights

• Legal entities and constitutional bodies

Now, with sweeping legal reforms reshaping India’s criminal justice system, CBSE officials noted the urgent need to modernize the syllabus. An expert committee will be formed, and a content development agency may be appointed to ensure the revised textbooks are ready for students by the 2026–27 academic session.

Expansion and Growing Popularity

In April 2024, the Directorate of Education further expanded the reach of Legal Studies by approving its rollout in 29 more schools. School principals were instructed to complete formalities with CBSE, signaling the subject’s increasing relevance in secondary education.

This expansion, along with the curriculum overhaul, reflects the rising demand for legal literacy among students and educators. It also ensures that future learners will not only study laws as abstract concepts but will understand how they impact constitutional rights, individual freedoms, and modern Indian society.

Why This Matters

This curriculum update is not just administrative — it addresses long-standing concerns from students, teachers, and legal experts that CBSE’s legal education was lagging behind real-world legal developments. With this move, senior secondary students will now learn about laws that are current, relevant, and socially significant — better preparing them for careers in law, policymaking, or civic leadership.

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