Questions related to AAP in Class 12 Punjab board exam sparks controversy

A controversy has erupted in Punjab after the Class 12 exams conducted by the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) included two questions about the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The questions, which appeared in the Political Science paper held on March 4, asked students about the year AAP was established and its policies and programmes.

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The Punjab unit of BJP has accused AAP of using the education system to influence the political thinking of young minds. “Asking students to describe AAP’s policies and programmes implies that they have been taught about them throughout the academic year, which raises concerns about shaping the political perspective of young voters ahead of the 2027 Assembly election,” said Vineet Joshi, media head of the Punjab BJP unit.

Joshi also questioned why AAP was given exclusive mention in the exam, while other significant political parties, such as the Shiromani Akali Dal, Congress and BJP, were omitted.

However, Punjab Education Minister Harjot Bains dismissed BJP’s allegations as frivolous. “The question papers are set by well-established experts based on the syllabus, which includes asking questions on all political parties and their policies,” he said.

A PSEB official also pointed out that questions about other political parties have been asked in previous exams. For instance, in the 2023 supplementary exams, students were asked about the policies and programmes of BJP, while in the 2021 exams, students were asked to write about four policies of the Congress.