Punjab Govt Makes Punjabi Mandatory for Class 10 Amid CBSE Draft Norms Dispute

The Punjab government announced on Wednesday that Punjabi will be a required main subject in all schools in the state, regardless of the educational board they follow. They also stated that education certificates will be invalid without Punjabi as a main subject.

This change will start from the next academic year. The decision comes after a controversy over the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) removing Punjabi from the ‘regional and foreign languages group’ in a draft plan for Class X in the 2025-26 academic year. Although CBSE later clarified that it had not removed the language, the Punjab government called it a "well-planned conspiracy" to weaken regional languages with a new exam pattern.

Punjab Minister Harjot Singh Bains said he would send a letter to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, asking for accountability from the officials involved.

“We can’t tolerate this obvious attempt to impose a single viewpoint on our nation. We demand that CBSE respect India’s federal structure and give all languages, including Punjabi, the importance they deserve,” Bains said. He added that Punjabi is not just a language but an important part of the country’s heritage, spoken by millions of people, and that the current situation is an effort to push Punjabi out of education.

Notification by CBSE on the Matter

CBSE issued a clarification that it skipped writing Punjabi in the languages group while forming its draft scheme for two examinations in Class X for the 2025-26 academic year.

"It is clarified that the list of other subjects and languages contained in the draft sheet is only indicative and that all the subjects and languages as offered presently shall continue to be offered for 2025-26 as well. Thus, in addition to languages mentioned under the list of languages in point 8 of the draft policy under 'Regional and Foreign Languages Group,' Punjabi (004), Russian (021), Nepali (024), Limboo (025), Lepcha (026), Sindhi (008), Malayalam (012), Odia (013), Assamese (014), Kannada (015), Kokborok (091), Telugu (007), Arabic (016), and Persian (023) shall continue to be offered,” Sanyam Bhardwaj, controller of examinations for CBSE, said.

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