A political row erupted in Punjab Wednesday after the Punjabi language was allegedly “removed” as a subject in the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)’s draft policy for the proposed Dual Board Exams for Class 10 from 2025-26 session under the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020. The policy proposes that class-10 board exams will be held twice a year 2026 onwards, in order to give a chance to students to improve their scores and reduce the pressure.
However, the Punjabi language was not just found “missing” from the list of regional languages in the draft document, but also allegedly “removed” from the list of five main subjects. Cutting across the party lines, the politicians blamed BJP-led Centre for “direct attack” on Punjab’s identity and culture, with AAP leader and state education minister Harjot Singh Bains calling it a “deliberate attempt” by the BJP to undermine the status of Punjabi. The Congress and SAD also blamed Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann for “remaining silent”. However, CBSE was quick to issue an addendum stating that Punjabi and other regional languages will continue to be offered as before. However, the trouble for Punjabi, according to educationists and teachers in Punjab, in much deeper in the new draft policy.
The Indian Express explains:
Firstly, what was the CBSE’s class 10 study scheme for subjects until now?
According to the CBSE’s secondary school curriculum 2024-25 (the latest before 2026 dual exam draft came), the class 10 students were studying five compulsory subjects or informally “main” subjects- Language 1, Language 2, Social Science, Maths and Science. Apart from these five, students were also allowed to opt for additional third language and skill-based subjects.
Of the two compulsory languages (L1 and L2), one had to be either English or Hindi and the second could be any from the list of 40 regional languages offered by the board, including Punjabi. The students were also free to opt Hindi as second language but not mandatorily.
However, students of all CBSE-affiliated schools in Punjab have to study Punjabi as one of two main languages up to class 10 by default.
This is because the Punjab Learning of Punjabi and Other Languages Act, 2008, makes it mandatory for all schools to teach Punjabi as compulsory subject from classes 1 to 10. The law also empowers the government to act against erring schools.
So, in Punjab, students mostly opted for English as Language-1 and Punjabi as Language-2 (two main subjects) and Hindi as Language-3 (additional).
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What has changed in the new draft proposed for 2026? Is it the final draft?
The new CBSE draft proposing dual exams for class 10 from 2026 has proposed five main subjects as: English (Language 1), Hindi (Language 2), science, maths and social science. The draft prima facie indicates that Punjabi (or broadly regional languages) is no more among main five subjects and only optional if a student wants to study Language-3 and appear for an additional exam.
According to the draft, the “regional and foreign languages” will now be clubbed in a single group. The draft also adds that while the exam for “science, maths, social science, Hindi and English” will be conducted on fixed, separate days as currently, the ones for “regional and foreign languages will be done in one go on a single day.” This practically means that a student shall appear for Punjabi and French exam on the same day, hence limiting the time for preparation and dividing the student’s attention.
What further fueled the controversy Wednesday was that even the mention of Punjabi language was missing from the list of regional languages in the draft. While the languages such as Thai, Telugu, Japanese, French, Kashmiri, Marathi, Gujarati etc were mentioned in the document, Punjabi was missing.
A school principal from Ludhiana said: “So the new draft primarily indicates that students have to study Hindi and English as compulsory languages now. Till now, one main language had to be either English or Hindi and the second could be any regional language or also Hindi. But if this draft is implemented, then students in Punjab will be appearing in three language exams- English and Hindi as mandated by the board, and Punjabi as mandated by state’s law. Till now, students mostly used to study English and Punjabi as two main languages and some took Hindi as additional. But since the state civil services exams also mandate clearance in Punjabi, more opted for Punjabi than Hindi among two mandatory languages.”
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How has the CBSE reacted to the uproar?
After the political slugfest, the CBSE was quick to issue an addendum Wednesday stating that Punjabi would continue to be offered in regional languages, as before.
An addendum issued by the board’s Controller of Examinations Sanyam Bhardwaj read: “This is with regard to the draft policy for the conduct of two Board Examinations of class X released by the CBSE on its website on 25.02.2025. It is clarified that the list of other subjects and languages as offered presently shall continue to be offered for 2025-26 as well. Thus, in addition to the languages mentioned under the list of languages.. Punjabi, Russian , Nepali , Limboo, Lepcha , Sindhi, Malayalam , Odia, Assamese, Kannada, Kokborok, Telugu, Arabic and Persian shall continue to be offered.”
However, according to the school principals in Punjab, the board is yet to clarify if a regional language can be opted among the main five subjects or not, and if Hindi is now mandatory across states. “There’s no clarity over it as of now,” said a principal.
What the Punjab law states? How is the fresh notification by AAP government different?
The Punjab Learning of Punjabi and Other Languages Act, 2008, states: “Punjabi shall be taught as compulsory subject in all schools from class 1 to 10.” It further adds: “No board or institution shall award matriculation certificate to any student, unless he has passed the tenth class examination in Punjabi subject.”
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After the controversy erupted Wednesday, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab government issued a fresh notification, reiterating the provisions of the 2008 Act, with an addition that Punjabi has to be taught as “main subject” in all schools upto class 10, irrespective of the board that the school is affiliated with.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Bains said: “We have countered the BJP government’s sinister design to eliminate Punjabi from the central educational landscape, legally. According to the latest notification, the Punjabi has to be among five main subjects and only then the class-10 passing certificate would be valid. The Act did not specify Punjabi as one of the five main subjects which we have done now.”
In a letter to union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan Thursday, Bains wrote: “The state of Punjab has already mandated Punjabi as a compulsory main subject in class 10 through an official notification. CBSE’s new draft directly violates the notification. Therefore, CBSE must be directed to immediately withdraw the proposed scheme and restore Punjabi as a main subject in Punjab…”
