Punjabi made compulsory in Punjab schools

Chief Minister of Punjab, Charanjit Singh Channi, announced that Punjabi will now be a compulsory subject for all students in the state of Punjab.

Key Points

• Punjabi language will be made compulsory from classes 1-10.
• Apart from that, it will be made mandatory in offices as well.
• It has been made compulsory to promote mother tongue.
• If any school violates the norm, it will be fined up to Rs 2 lakh for violation.
• As per norms, Punjabi will be written on top of all the boards in Punjab.

What are those bills?

This announcement was made by CM, a day after the state legislative assembly passed 15 bills on November 11, 2021. Two bills were related to the Punjabi language namely, Punjab State Language Amendment Bill, 2021 and Punjabi & Other Languages Education (Amendment) Bill, 2021.

Punjabi & Other Languages Education (Amendment) Bill, 2021

Under this bill, Punjabi language will be made a compulsory subject in schools. In case of violation, it has set a fine of ₹2 lakh.

Punjab State Language Amendment Bill, 2021

The bill directs that all official business shall be conducted in Punjabi. In case of violation, a penalty of Rs 500, Rs 2000 and Rs 5000 will be imposed respectively for first, second and third violations.

Background

State government announced this move in the backdrop of recent announcement by Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to move status of Punjabi language from ‘major subject’ to ‘minor subject’. CBSE had classified all the regional languages as ‘minor subjects’ for first-term exams of 10^th and 12^th classes.

Month: Current Affairs - November, 2021