No Punjab degree should be awarded to a student who has never studied Punjab history and culture, says KBS Sidhu: Former Diplomat
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, September 14, 2026: Every undergraduate student in Punjab should be required to study the state's history and cultural heritage, including substantive Sikh history, before being awarded a degree, former Special Chief Secretary of Punjab KBS Sidhu has proposed.
Sidhu has made the proposal to Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria in his capacity as Chancellor of the state's universities.
He has suggested that the requirement should apply across disciplines, including engineering, commerce, medicine, agriculture and law.
According to Sidhu, the proposal would not require universities to add a new credit to their existing programmes.
He has argued that the Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) component mandated under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and included in model curricula for technical and professional courses could provide the space for region-specific content.
He has sought a common foundation course covering Punjab's history and cultural heritage, including the Sikh Gurus and the development of Sikh institutions, Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, the Khalsa, Baba Banda Singh Bahadur, the Misls and Maharaja Ranjit Singh, besides colonial rule, reform movements, Partition, post-Independence Punjab and the Punjabi diaspora.
The proposed course could also cover Punjab's language, literature, music and architecture, along with the contributions of women, farmers, artisans and marginalised communities.
Sidhu has pointed out that some universities already offer courses related to Punjab's heritage or Sikhism, but said the key issue was whether such courses were compulsory for students. Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, has approved a compulsory two-credit course titled "Basic Knowledge of Sikhism" from the 2026-27 academic session, while Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University, Bathinda, had notified "The Maharaja of People" in 2023 as part of its open-elective stream.
He also noted that Punjabi University, Patiala, has a compulsory Punjabi language requirement, but argued that a language course does not by itself provide students with a grounding in Punjab's history.
"A syllabus entry that no student must complete is the academic equivalent of a sanctioned post that is never filled," Sidhu said, stressing the need to make the proposed study a mandatory requirement.
Sidhu has asked the Governor to convene a consultation with Vice-Chancellors of Punjab's universities, including general, technical, agricultural, health sciences and law universities, as well as representatives of private universities established under state legislation.
The consultation, he has proposed, should examine what is currently being taught at different universities and whether students can graduate without studying Punjab's history and heritage. It should also establish common learning outcomes, equivalence criteria and a timeline for implementation.
Sidhu has emphasised that the proposed course should remain academic in nature and should not amount to religious instruction. He has suggested that there should be no compulsory worship, religious observance or profession of faith, with assessment based on students' understanding of the subject.
He has also raised questions about the nomenclature and framing of the Sikh history component, arguing that scholars with standing within the Sikh community should be part of the group drafting the syllabus.
Sidhu said that if consultation with universities does not result in the adoption of the requirement, the Punjab Government could subsequently consider a narrowly framed statutory provision, subject to central laws, national academic standards, freedom of conscience and minority educational rights.
However, he said he does not favour legislation at this stage, arguing that a requirement voluntarily adopted by universities would be more sustainable.
The proposal would require a separate process for Panjab University, Chandigarh, which has a different governance structure and whose ex-officio Chancellor is the Vice-President of India. Sidhu said he would approach the Vice-President separately on the matter.