The Punjab government has announced that Punjabi will be a mandatory subject in all schools across the state. This decision comes after the state alleged that the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) removed Punjabi from its list of regional language subjects for Class 10. However, the CBSE has denied these claims and clarified that Punjabi will continue to be offered as a subject.

Punjab government’s stand

Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains accused the BJP-led central government and CBSE of dropping Punjabi from the list of Class 10 subjects in the new draft guidelines for the biannual board exam format. He called it a "well-planned conspiracy" against Punjab and the Punjabi language.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader stated that his department has issued a notification making Punjabi a main subject in Class 10 across the state. He warned that if Punjabi is not a main subject in any school, the certificate issued by the school will be considered "null and void." This rule will apply to all education boards in Punjab.

Bains explained that, as per the CBSE draft norms, subjects like science, math, social science, Hindi, and English are considered main subjects for Class 10. Meanwhile, regional and foreign languages have been grouped separately, which he claims results in Punjabi being removed from the list of main subjects.

"It means Punjabi is not the main subject. The main regional language has been finished," he said during a press conference. He also emphasized that Punjabi is widely spoken in states like 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 stated. He further claimed that the current situation is an attempt to erase Punjabi from the education system.

CBSE's clarification

After the Punjab government’s strong response, the CBSE issued a clarification denying the claims that Punjabi was removed from the list of regional language subjects for Class 10.

CBSE Examination Controller Sanyam Bhardwaj said in an official notification, "It is clarified that the list of other subjects and languages contained in the draft date sheet is only indicative and that all the subjects and languages as offered presently shall continue to be offered for 2025-2026 as well."

He also confirmed that, along with Punjabi, other regional languages such as Russian, Nepali, Limboo, Lepcha, Sindhi, Malayalam, Odia, Assamese, Kannada, Kokborok, Telugu, Arabic, and Persian will continue to be part of the curriculum.

Even after CBSE clarified that Punjabi was not removed, the Punjab government is sticking to its decision. It has made Punjabi a compulsory subject in all schools to ensure that students in the state continue learning it as an important subject.

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