The Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) has announced that starting from the academic session 2026-27, digital birth certificates will be mandatory for student registration. This decision has been met with strong opposition from the Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF), which describes the requirement as 'unreasonable' and discriminatory, particularly against students born in Punjab. DTF leaders, including state president Vikramdev Singh, general secretary Mahinder Kauriyanwali, and finance secretary Ashwani Awasthi, argue that the mandate will invalidate previously issued manual birth certificates and force parents to navigate service centers for digitization. They also highlight that under the Right to Education (RTE) framework, schools can admit students based on alternative documents if birth proof is unavailable, making the digital birth certificate requirement contradictory. The teachers' body has urged PSEB to maintain the existing system, allowing school heads to verify documents without imposing new burdens on parents and students.