In a landmark move aimed at democratising access to knowledge and strengthening higher education in Punjab, Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) has approved the Punjabi-First Education, Research and Governance Policy 2026, making Punjabi (Gurmukhi script) a mandatory medium for major research outputs alongside English.
Announcing the decision on Tuesday, vice-chancellor Prof Karamjeet Singh termed it a “people-centric step” aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, while ensuring that GNDU remains committed to global academic excellence. He said that under the policy, PhD theses, dissertations, project reports and funded research outputs will be submitted in both English (or the primary academic language) and Punjabi, ensuring wider accessibility of research to Punjabi-speaking students, educators, policymakers and the general public. He also clarified that the Punjabi versions will be academically rigorous and faithful to the original work, evaluated for clarity and accuracy, without penalising natural stylistic variations. He said the policy would particularly benefit scholars from rural, border and first-generation learner backgrounds.
The vice-chancellor added that the initiative positions Punjabi as a language of science, innovation, agriculture, health, law and social sciences. The rollout will be phased over three years, beginning with doctoral research, and will come into effect from the next academic session.