The Punjab Government announced Punjabi as a mandatory subject in all schools across the State, irrespective of their educational board affiliation. The decision, aimed at safeguarding the linguistic and cultural heritage of Punjab, stipulates that matriculation certificates will be rendered null and void if students do not study Punjabi as a main subject in Class 10.
Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains stated that a fresh notification has been issued by the education department, reinforcing that Punjabi must be a primary subject for Class 10 students in the State. He emphasized that schools failing to comply with this mandate would face stringent action under the Punjab Learning of Punjabi and Other Languages Act, 2008.
“Students in Punjab will not be considered as having passed Class 10 from any board unless they have studied Punjabi as a main subject. All schools affiliated with any board in the state must teach Punjabi as a primary subject,” the notification declared.
Backlash Against CBSE Draft Norms
This development comes in response to widespread outrage over the alleged exclusion of Punjabi from the list of regional languages in the Central Board of Secondary Education’s (CBSE) draft norms for Class 10. Although the CBSE later clarified that no subject would be dropped and that Punjabi would be included under a revised two-board format starting in 2026, political leaders across party lines criticized the move, calling it an attack on Punjab’s linguistic identity.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab Government accused the BJP-led Central Government of orchestrating a “well-planned conspiracy” against Punjabi. Addressing the media in Chandigarh, Education Minister Bains slammed the CBSE for relegating Punjabi to a secondary category in the draft examination policy.
“In the CBSE’s draft norms, science, mathematics, social science, Hindi, and English are designated as main subjects for Class 10. Meanwhile, regional and foreign languages are placed in a separate category. This effectively diminishes Punjabi’s status as a main subject,” Bains said.
The minister further alleged that Punjabi had been removed from the list of regional languages while foreign languages such as Thai, German, and French were retained. “This is an attempt to erase Punjabi from the educational landscape,” he asserted.
AAP Government Stands Firm on Linguistic Identity
Highlighting Punjabi’s prominence beyond Punjab, Mr. Bains underscored that the language is widely spoken in Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, and West Bengal. “Punjabi is not just a language; it is a symbol of our rich cultural heritage, spoken and cherished by millions across the country,” he said.
Criticizing the Punjab unit of the BJP for dismissing the issue as a “clerical mistake,” Mr. Bains said such a response was akin to “rubbing salt into the wounds” of Punjabis. He revealed that he had formally written to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, demanding accountability and corrective measures regarding the CBSE’s draft norms.
To reinforce its commitment to preserving the Punjabi language, the Punjab Government has implemented the new policy with immediate effect. Henceforth, all educational boards operating in the State must adhere to the mandate of making Punjabi a primary subject for Class 10 students, ensuring the language remains integral to Punjab’s educational framework.
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Manbilas Singh is a talented writer and journalist who focuses on the finer details in every story and values integrity above everything. A self-proclaimed sleuth, he strives to expose the fine print behind seemingly mundane activities and aims to uncover the truth that is hidden from the general public. In his time away from work, he is a music aficionado and a nerd who revels in video & board games, books and Formula 1.
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