GNDU approves Punjabi-First Education, Research and Governance Policy 2026, making research accessible in Punjabi and English for students and society.

Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU), Amritsar has taken a historic, people-focused step by approving the Punjabi-First Education, Research and Governance Policy 2026, making Punjabi (Gurmukhi) central to higher education without compromising global academic standards.

Announcing the policy, Prof. Karamjeet Singh, Vice-Chancellor of GNDU, emphasized that it aims to reconnect higher education with society by making knowledge accessible in the language people understand best.

In an era when higher education often feels distant, this initiative ensures that major academic work—PhD theses, dissertations, project reports, and funded research outputs—will now be submitted in both the primary academic language (usually English) and Punjabi (Gurmukhi).

The goal is straightforward: research conducted in Punjab should be accessible not only internationally but also to Punjabi-speaking students, teachers, policymakers, and citizens, Prof. Singh said.

Global Knowledge, Local Access

The Punjabi submissions will be fully academically rigorous and faithful to original research, evaluated for clarity and accuracy. While quality will be primarily judged in the main language, the Punjabi version ensures research findings are not locked behind language barriers. Students will not be penalized for stylistic differences in Punjabi, as long as meaning and accuracy are preserved.

Benefits for Students and Punjab

The policy particularly empowers students from rural, border, and first-generation backgrounds who naturally think and express themselves in Punjabi. It allows them to engage deeply with research while maintaining national and international academic mobility.

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For Punjab, the impact is broad: research in agriculture, health, education, law, environment, entrepreneurship, and social sciences will now be available in Punjabi, facilitating public understanding, better policymaking, and faster knowledge transfer to schools, startups, and communities. Punjabi is thus positioned as a language of science, innovation, and public good, not just culture.

Academic Support and Resources

GNDU will provide strong institutional support to ensure rigor, including:

• Departmental Punjabi academic glossaries

• Punjabi academic writing and citation guides

• A dedicated Punjabi Academic Support Unit for terminology and translation

• A bilingual digital repository archiving research in both languages

Modern tools, including AI-based translation, may be used responsibly, but scholars remain fully accountable for accuracy and integrity.

Phased and Fair Implementation

The policy will be rolled out gradually:

• Year 1: Doctoral theses and funded research

• Year 2: Master’s dissertations

• Year 3: Major project reports and institutional research

Exceptions will be allowed only in highly technical or legally restricted cases, with mandatory Punjabi summaries.

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Aligned with National Education Policy 2020

The initiative aligns with NEP 2020, promoting multilingualism, mother-tongue education, and removal of language barriers. GNDU demonstrates how regional languages can coexist with global academic standards.

Towards a More Inclusive University

By institutionalizing bilingual research, GNDU strengthens intercultural understanding and reaffirms the role of universities as bridges between knowledge and society. Prof. Singh reiterated GNDU’s commitment to excellence, equity, and cultural leadership, describing the Punjabi-First Policy 2026 as a decisive step to make higher education in Punjab world-class, rooted, and socially relevant.