The Department of History, Panjab University, has rolled back its decision to revise the postgraduate Sikh history syllabus, reportedly under the New Education Policy (NEP), after student outfits raised objections.The department today gave an assurance to the protesting groups that the revised syllabus will be uploaded within a week.Earlier, the department had made certain changes to the Sikh history syllabus and had even decided to make several subjects optional instead of compulsory. The outfits alleged that the move was politically motivated, while the PU authorities maintained that the changes were introduced to remove repetition and provide flexibility to students.Student outfit “Sath” had also submitted a memorandum to the Vice-Chancellor in this regard.Jasbir Singh, chairperson of the History Department, said, “The decision has been rolled back. There was no political vendetta behind updating the syllabus. We have assured the student outfits that the syllabus, as requested by them, will be uploaded on the website within a week.”Meanwhile, the decision was also opposed by the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), with senior leader Daljit Singh Cheema saying that the four papers, which provided students an opportunity to study the history of Punjab from the 15th to the 20th centuries, should not be altered.“The decision to remove the four papers covering the history of Punjab from the postgraduate history syllabus at PU was a matter of serious concern for Punjabis and all those committed to preserving our rich historical heritage. On behalf of SAD, I took up the matter with the Vice-Chancellor and the Department of History. I was assured that the decision will be reversed shortly,” he said.“I urge the PU authorities to ensure that such decisions, which have deep cultural and historical sensitivities for Punjabis, are not repeated. Punjab’s history must remain an integral and respected part of academic study,” Cheema wrote on X.The changes introduced under the NEP also reportedly caused concern in some other streams, mainly over syllabus revisions in colleges.