The Army Welfare Education Society (AWES) has implemented a new language policy in Army Public Schools (APS) in Punjab, making Sanskrit compulsory while allowing Punjabi as an optional subject. This decision has sparked outrage among parents and activists who claim it undermines the Punjab Learning of Punjabi and Other Languages (Amendment) Act, 2008, which mandates Punjabi instruction up to Class 10 in all state schools. Critics, including members of the Punjab Chetna Manch and Rajya Sabha MP Vikramjit Singh Sawhney, argue that this policy threatens the cultural identity of Punjab and disconnects future generations from their linguistic roots. Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains has stated that his ministry is reviewing the situation, recalling previous fines imposed on AWES for similar actions. The AWES defends the policy as a means to standardize education for a diverse student body, many of whom come from non-Punjabi backgrounds due to military postings. This controversy underscores the tension between national educational standardization and regional language preservation, aligning with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020's advocacy for multilingualism.