Patiala (November 23, 2010): Bar Council of India is said to have decided to hold All India Bar Examination (AIBE) in Punjabi language also. Council’s member Shri Brij Mohan Vinayak informed that the decision has been recently taken at a vital meeting of BCI held at Chenai. Sh. Vinayak, who also participated in the meeting, informed that he successfully raised the issue of including Punjabi in list of recognized languages. It is notable that AIBE, which was to be held on 5 December this year, has already been postponed for three months.It is worth mentioning that decision of BCI to ignore Punjabi language for AIBE was looked at as a discrimination against Punjabi language and Punjabi students. Furthermore, a students’ body named Sikh Students Federation was strongly objecting at the decision of BCI, while demanding rectification. Dr. Jaspal Singh, Vice-Chancellor of Punjabi University, Patiala and previous Education Minister of Punjab, Dr. Upinderjeet Kaur had also written to BCI to change its decision.SSF President, Parmjeet Singh Gazi, when asked to comment, welcomed the move. ‘BCI’s decision, though delayed, is a move in right direction that deserves to be appreciated’.

‘This decision is of great relief for students, who disappointed over the prolonged inaction of BCI were about to file a writ petition in Punjab and Haryana High Court’ he said. He further added that decision to take resort to legal remedies is withheld for the time being and students are waiting for official communication regarding decision to implement Punjabi.
Parmjeet Singh Gazi further added that he had contacted Dr. Venit Bernard Coutinho, BCI’s Director Legal Education, who assured that a decision would soon be communicated to the Sikh Students Federation. Dr. Coutinho has conveyed congratulations to Punjabi students for their efforts to get recognition for their language.

Punjabi is official language of the State and work of lower Courts is also conducted in it. Punjabi University is the sole institution that imparts legal education in Punjabi language. SSF has demanded that other institutions of legal education including GNDU (Amritsar) and Punjab University, Chandigarh should also recognize Punjabi as an optional medium of instruction for imparting legal education.