A significant protest erupted outside the office of the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) in Patiala, led by the group Misl Satluj. The demonstration centered on serious allegations that the commission drastically reduced the number of Punjabi language questions in the recent Punjab Provincial Civil Service (PCS) preliminary examination. Protestors claim this move disadvantages students from rural backgrounds and those educated in Punjabi-medium schools.
Core Allegations by Protesting Group
Misl Satluj functionary Yadwinder Singh Yadu provided specific details about the grievance. He stated that the recruitment process began with Advertisement No. 20251, and the preliminary examination was held on December 7. The primary issue, according to Yadu, is the excessive reduction of Punjabi language questions in this year's test. He labeled this a direct act of injustice against the rural and Punjabi-medium student population of Punjab.
Yadu highlighted a stark contrast in the second paper, commonly known as the CSAT. Where historically there were between 15 to 23 questions in Punjabi, this year's paper contained only eight. This sharp decline has raised alarms about the fairness and accessibility of the exam for a large section of Punjab's aspirants.
Mathematics-Centric Paper Sparks Outcry
Adding to the controversy, Misl Satluj's general secretary, Davinder Singh Sekhon, accused the PPSC of making the CSAT paper overwhelmingly mathematics-centric once again. He argued that this focus inflicts heavy losses on students from rural areas and those who do not come from a mathematics-oriented academic background.
Sekhon further explained the qualifying mechanism, noting that 40 percent of the paper, amounting to 32 questions, was set as the qualifying threshold. He contends that the combined effect of fewer Punjabi questions and a higher number of mathematics questions creates an uneven playing field. This pattern, he fears, will systematically eliminate rural and non-mathematics background students from the competition.
Broader Implications for Punjab's Youth
The protestors framed the issue as one with profound consequences for governance and employment in the state. Sekhon voiced a critical concern: that the current exam structure could lead to a situation where non-Punjabi students from outside Punjab secure government jobs within the state, while local Punjabi-speaking youth, particularly from villages and non-mathematics streams, are sidelined.
The group's demonstration underscores a growing tension over competitive exam patterns and their alignment with regional linguistic identity. At the time of reporting, PPSC secretary Charanjit Singh could not be reached for his comments on the allegations raised by Misl Satluj. The protest in Patiala signals a demand for the commission to revisit the examination syllabus to ensure it is equitable for all candidates from Punjab.
