CBSE Clarifies No Change In Subjects After Punjab Edu Minister Objects To Exclusion Of Punjabi In New Pattern

Last Updated:February 26, 2025, 15:13 IST

CBSE clarified that all current subjects, including Punjabi, will continue to be offered after Punjab Minister’s objection.

CBSE assures no change in subject offerings for exams. (Image: PTI)

Punjab Education Minister Harjot Bains has raised concerns over the new exam pattern proposed by the CBSE, alleging that Punjabi has been excluded from the list of subjects. In a video posted on ‘X’ (formerly Twitter), Minister Bains demanded that CBSE and the Union Minister for Education roll back this decision highlighting the significance of the Punjabi language in Punjab’s cultural and educational landscape.

Posting the video on ‘X’ Bains wrote, “We strongly object to CBSE’s new exam pattern scheme, which attempts to erase Punjabi! Punjabi must be designated as the main language in Punjab and further be included as a regional language in CBSE for rest of the nation, as it is spoken and read across multiple states. Any attack on Punjabi will not be tolerated!”

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The CBSE recently released a draft policy which did not list Punjabi (code 004) among the offered languages, while all other languages were included. The draft has been made available on the CBSE website to seek feedback from stakeholders such as schools, teachers, parents, and students.

Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukbir Singh Badal also objected to CBSE’s decision to drop Punjabi from regional languages in the 2025-26 curriculum. “Punjabi is our mother tongue, spoken and read across various states and many countries worldwide. This attack on our mother tongue will not be tolerated, and Akali Dal will strongly oppose this move. We demand its immediate restoration and urge all Punjabis to join hands in this fight” Badal wrote on X.

In response to the concerns raised, the CBSE’s Controller of Examinations Sanyam Bhardwaj told news18.com that there has been no change in the subjects offered. The list of subjects included in the new exam scheme is merely indicative, and all subjects that are currently available, including Punjabi, will continue to be offered in the upcoming board examinations.

Later, in a Wednesday release, CBSE reiterated “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.”

“Thus, in addition to the languages mentioned under the list of languages in point 8 of the draft policy under the heading “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,” CBSE further stated.