No Class 10 certificate will be issued without passing Punjabi in Punjab: AAP govt hits back at CBSE, issues fresh notification
Bains says Punjab will bring its own education policy and constitute a committee of experts for the purpose
3 min read
Addressing a press conference in Chandigarh on Wednesday, Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains announced, "Punjab will bring its own education policy and constitute a committee of experts for the purpose."
Amid political row over the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) “removing” Punjabi language from the list of subjects for Class X board exams in 2026, the Punjab government Wednesday issued a fresh notification directing the state’s education officials that “no candidate will be issued Class X passing certificate without clearing Punjabi exam irrespective of the board they are affiliated with”.
The Punjab education department’s notification addressed to senior department officials states that “the Punjab Learning of Punjabi and Other Languages Act, 2008 is in place and mandates that Punjabi will be taught as a compulsory subject from Classes I to X in all schools of Punjab and no board/institute can issue Class X passing certificate to any student until he/she clears the Punjabi language exam”.
The notification states, “Given the above provisions in the Act, the officials in the education department are again being directed that no student in the state of Punjab can be declared Class X pass without clearing exam in the Punjabi language, which has to be taught as the main language in all schools of Punjab irrespective of the board they are affiliated with.
The notification further states that “schools found non-compliant with the Act will not be spared, and action will be initiated against them as per the Act”.
Addressing a press conference in Chandigarh on Wednesday, Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains announced, “Punjab will bring its own education policy and constitute a committee of experts for the purpose.”
Bains said, “Punjabi is spoken and read in multiple states, extending its significance beyond Punjab’s borders. Punjabi is not just a language, it is a symbol of our rich cultural heritage, spoken and cherished by millions across the country. The current situation is an attempt to erase Punjabi from the educational landscape.”
Bains said he would write to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to “fix responsibility of officials who committed this grave injustice to the state”.
The minister asked the CBSE to understand that “this is not a matter of choice, but a matter of national importance. This is a blatant disregard to the rights of states and federal structure, and a direct assault on our nation’s linguistic diversity”.
“We can’t tolerate this blatant attempt to impose a singular narrative on our nation,” the minister said, demanding that “the CBSE respect the federal structure of India and ensure all languages, including Punjabi, are given the prominence they deserve”.
Bains shared that the Punjab government imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on Amity International School, Mohali, for “failing to comply with the Punjab Learning of Punjabi and Other Languages Act, 2008”.
According to a report of the District Education Officer (Secondary), the school was found to violate the Act, which mandates the teaching of Punjabi as a compulsory subject.
Two Jalandhar-based schools were also penalised for violating this Act.
You May Like
Photos
