Face2News/Chandigarh/Amritsar

Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU), Amritsar has taken a historic and people-centric step by approving the Punjabi-First Education, Research and Governance Policy 2026, placing Punjabi (Gurmukhi) at the heart of higher education—without compromising global academic standards.

Announcing the decision, Prof. Karamjeet Singh, Vice-Chancellor, Guru Nanak Dev University, said that the policy is aimed at reconnecting higher education with society and making knowledge accessible to the people in the language they understand best.

At a time when higher education often feels distant from society, this policy seeks to reconnect universities with the language of their people. GNDU will now require that major research work—such as PhD theses, dissertations, project reports and funded research outputs—be submitted both in the primary academic language (usually English) and in Punjabi (Gurmukhi).

The intent is simple yet powerful: knowledge created in Punjab should be accessible not only to the global academic world, but also to Punjabi-speaking students, teachers, parents, policymakers and citizens, Prof. Karamjeet Singh observed.

Global Knowledge, Local Access:  The University has clarified that Punjabi submissions will not be symbolic or ceremonial. They will be academically sound, faithful to the original research, and evaluated for clarity and accuracy. While research quality will continue to be judged primarily in the main submission language, the Punjabi version will ensure that ideas, innovations and findings do not remain locked behind language barriers.

Importantly, students will not be penalized for stylistic differences in Punjabi writing, as long as meaning and accuracy are preserved. The focus remains learning, inclusion and confidence—not linguistic policing.

Why This Matters to Students and Punjab : For many students—especially from rural, border and first-generation backgrounds—thinking and expressing ideas in Punjabi comes naturally. This policy empowers them to engage more deeply with research while retaining national and international mobility.

For Punjab, the impact is far-reaching. Research on agriculture, health, education, law, environment, entrepreneurship and society will now be available in Punjabi, enabling wider public understanding, better policymaking and faster knowledge transfer to schools, startups, institutions and communities.

Punjabi is thus positioned not only as a language of culture, but as a language of science, innovation and public good, the Vice-Chancellor said.

Strong Academic Support System:  To ensure rigour and consistency, GNDU will establish strong institutional support, including:

• Department-wise Punjabi academic glossaries • A Punjabi academic writing and citation guide • A dedicated Punjabi Academic Support Unit for terminology and translation assistance • A bilingual digital repository archiving research in both languages

Modern tools, including AI-based translation, may be used responsibly—but the scholar will remain fully accountable for accuracy and academic integrity.

Phased and Fair Implementation : The policy will be implemented gradually to ensure a smooth transition: • Year 1: Doctoral theses and funded research• Year 2: Master’s dissertations  • Year 3: Major project reports and institutional research  Limited exceptions will be permitted only in highly technical or legally restricted cases, with mandatory Punjabi summaries.

Aligned with National Education Policy 2020 : This initiative strongly reflects the spirit of the National Education Policy 2020, which advocates multilingualism, mother-tongue education and removal of language barriers in higher education. GNDU’s model demonstrates how regional languages can coexist with global academic excellence.

A Step Towards a More Inclusive University : By institutionalising bilingual research, GNDU is strengthening intercultural understanding and reaffirming the role of public universities as bridges between knowledge and society.

Reiterating the University’s commitment, Prof. Karamjeet Singh said that GNDU remains dedicated to excellence, equity and cultural leadership. The Punjabi-First Education, Research and Governance Policy 2026 is a decisive move to ensure that higher education in Punjab remains world-class, rooted, and socially meaningful.

The policy will come into force from the next academic session.