Chandigarh (National Times): In a major decision to promote Punjabi language and culture, the Punjab government has made it mandatory for all schools in the state—regardless of their affiliation—to teach Punjabi as a main subject.
Punjabi Now a Compulsory Subject in All Boards
As per the new directive, all schools affiliated with the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB), Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), and Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) must ensure Punjabi is part of the curriculum as a primary subject.
Announcing the decision, Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains stated that the AAP-led state government has immediately issued a fresh notification, making Punjabi a mandatory subject for Class 10 in all Punjabi schools.
“If Punjabi is not taught as a main subject, the student’s certificate will be considered invalid. This rule will apply to all boards operating in Punjab,” Bains emphasized.
Minister Bains Accuses CBSE of Dropping Punjabi
The decision comes in the wake of allegations against CBSE and the Union government for excluding Punjabi from the Class 10 subject list in CBSE’s new draft policy for 2026.
Bains criticized CBSE for including multiple languages such as Sanskrit, Urdu, Marathi, Gujarati, Manipuri, Bodo, Kashmiri, Mizo, Thai, German, and French but omitting Punjabi from the regional language category.
Calling it a “deliberate attempt to sideline Punjabi,” he stated, “This is a well-planned conspiracy against Punjab, Punjabi, and Punjabiyat. The main regional language has been neglected.”
According to Bains, the draft policy categorizes science, mathematics, social science, Hindi, and English as primary subjects, while regional and foreign languages are grouped separately, effectively downgrading the importance of Punjabi.
CBSE Responds: No Language Has Been Removed
Amid the growing controversy, CBSE officials clarified that the draft list was indicative and no language had been excluded from the board exams.
CBSE Examination Controller Sanyam Bhardwaj stated, “There is no change in the list of subjects currently offered. The draft policy only serves as an outline, and all subjects, including Punjabi, will remain available for Class 10 board exams.”
CBSE further confirmed that Punjabi, along with other languages such as Russian, Nepali, Limboo, Lepcha, Sindhi, Malayalam, Odia, Assamese, Kannada, Kokborok, Telugu, Arabic, and Persian, will continue to be part of the board’s offerings.
With the Punjab government reinforcing Punjabi education and CBSE clarifying its position, the debate over language representation in national education policies remains a hot topic.
