Chandigarh, March 10 — A political controversy has emerged in Punjab after the Class 12 Political Science exam, conducted by the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) on March 4, included two questions about the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Students were asked about AAP’s founding year and its policies, prompting backlash from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Punjab BJP media head Vineet Joshi accused AAP of using the education system to shape students’ political views ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. “Asking about AAP’s policies suggests students were taught about them throughout the year, which raises concerns about political bias in education,” Joshi said. He also questioned why only AAP was mentioned, while other major parties, including the Shiromani Akali Dal, Congress, and BJP, were excluded.
Rejecting the allegations, Punjab Education Minister Harjot Bains said the syllabus includes all political parties and exam papers are set by experts. “These are standard questions based on the curriculum,” he stated.
A PSEB official defended the board’s approach, pointing out that similar questions have been asked in previous exams. “In the 2023 supplementary exams, students wrote about BJP’s policies, and in 2021, they answered questions on Congress,” the official said.
