Draft norms: Punjab minister claims language dropped from subjects, CBSE says list indicative

NEW DELHI: The CBSE's draft norms for the Class 10 board exam does not mention Punjabi in its list of subjects, drawing strong opposition from Punjab's education minister even as board officials said the list was only indicative and that no subjects would be dropped.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Tuesday approved draft norms for conducting the Class 10 board exam twice a year . The draft norms will now be put in the public domain and stakeholders can submit their feedback by March 9, following which the policy will be finalised. Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains alleged that the new policy was attempting to drop Punjabi from the subjects' list and claimed that his government would not tolerate any attack on the language.

"We strongly object to the 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 for the rest of the nation as it is spoken and read across multiple states. Any attack on Punjabi will not be tolerated," Bains said in a video shared on X. CBSE Examination Controller Sanyam Bhardwaj, however, said there would be no change in the list of subjects.

"There is no change in the list of subjects offered at present. The list in the draft policy is indicative. All subjects offered at present will continue in the Class 10 board exam in both phases," he said.

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National Education Policy

According to the draft norms, Class 10 students will be able to take the CBSE board exam twice in an academic session or choose between the two -- one in February and another in May -- from 2026. The first phase will be held from February 17 to March 6 and the second one between May 5 and 20.

Candidates will also have the option to appear for both phases. Additionally, students will be allowed to skip specific subjects in the second attempt if they are satisfied with their performance in the first, as well as particular subjects in the first phase as well.

The National Education Policy recommended allowing all students to take exams on up to two occasions during any given school year to eliminate the "high stakes" aspect of board exams. The CBSE has clarified that no separate supplementary exam would be conducted under this system. Instead, the second phase will serve as the supplementary exam for those students who want to improve their scores.