Punjab Govt Makes Punjabi Mandatory In Schools After CBSE Draft Norms Row – News18

Last Updated:February 27, 2025, 07:46 IST

The Punjab government now requires Punjabi as a main subject in all schools, regardless of the board.

The Punjab government on Wednesday announced that Punjabi will now be a mandatory subject in all schools across the state, irrespective of their board affiliation. It further stated that education certificates will be deemed null and void if Punjabi is not listed as a main subject.

This decision follows accusations by the AAP government, which claimed that the BJP-led Centre and the CBSE had removed Punjabi from the list of subjects for Class 10 in the new draft norms for the biannual board exam format. The AAP government described this move as a “well-planned conspiracy” aimed at undermining Punjab and the Punjabi language.

Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains said his department has issued a fresh notification stating that Punjabi will be a “main subject” in Class 10 across the state. If a school does not offer Punjabi as a main subject, the certificate issued by that school will be considered “null and void.”

This decision applies to all educational boards in Punjab, Bains confirmed.

Speaking to the media, Bains strongly criticised the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) for allegedly removing Punjabi from its list of subjects in the latest draft examination policy. He called it a “well-planned conspiracy against Punjab, Punjabi, and Punjabiyat.”

According to Bains, the CBSE’s draft norms list science, maths, social science, Hindi, and English as the main subjects for Class 10, with regional and foreign languages grouped separately. He claimed that Punjabi was removed from the regional languages category, effectively making it no longer a main subject.

“They kept foreign languages like Thai, German, French, etc., but they forgot to mention Punjabi,” Bains pointed out.

He emphasised the importance of Punjabi, noting that it is widely spoken in several states, including 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,” Bains said, expressing concerns that the current move was an attempt to erase Punjabi from the educational landscape.

Bains also criticised the Punjab BJP for dismissing the issue as a “clerical mistake,” accusing them of playing with the emotions of the people of Punjab and “rubbing salt into the wounds.”

In response, Bains stated that he has written to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, seeking clarification on the actions to be taken regarding this “clerical mistake.”

He further confirmed that the Punjab government has issued a new notification, effective immediately, stating that Punjabi will be the main subject for Class 10 under any education board in the state. “If Punjabi is taught without being the main subject, then the certificate will be considered null and void,” he said.

Bains also announced plans to introduce a new education policy for the state, with an expert committee to be formed to work on the details.