Patiala varsity’s language push mandates staff to sign in Punjabi

Punjabi University, Patiala, has issued a circular making it mandatory for all teaching and non-teaching employees to sign official documents in Punjabi.

The directive, approved by the Vice Chancellor, Dr Jagdeep Singh, is part of the university’s renewed push to promote the Punjabi language in administrative and institutional functioning.

A copy of the circular, accessed by The Tribune, states that “as per the orders of the Vice Chancellor, the authorities and employees are instructed that every staff member associated with the university must use Punjabi signatures. This order must be strictly implemented.”

The rule applies across departments and categories of employment, making Punjabi signatures compulsory in all forms of official paperwork. University officials said the aim was to strengthen the routine use of Punjabi in administrative work and reaffirm its cultural and linguistic significance on the campus.

“Punjabi University, founded with the primary objective of promoting Punjabi language and literature, has historically taken steps to safeguard regional linguistic identity. The latest order aligns closely with its foundational mission,” said the Vice Chancellor.

Mandating signatures in Punjabi is expected to enhance the presence of the language in the day-to-day functioning by ensuring that Punjabi remains the primary medium of institutional communication. Since signatures serve as personal identifiers, the move also carries symbolic weight, reinforcing Punjabi identity in professional documentation.

The decision has encouraged employees to improve their familiarity with the Gurmukhi script. Officials said the measure could inspire other educational institutions in Punjab to take similar steps to promote Punjabi in administrative spaces.

However, the directive may require hand-holding in the implementation stage. Some staff members, who primarily use English or Hindi signatures, might need training or orientation in the Punjabi script, said an official.

Resistance or practical challenges cannot be ruled out as the mandate rolls out across various departments.

Despite this, the university authorities maintain that the order is an important cultural step in strengthening the institutional role of Punjabi and ensuring its continued relevance in academic administration.