India, March 9 -- The March 6 decision by Guru Nanak Dev University's academic council may well prove to be one of the more meaningful academic interventions seen in Punjab in recent years. The council decided to introduce a compulsory course, titled Basic Knowledge of Sikhism, for all undergraduate students from the 2026-27 academic session.

At one level, this is a curricular reform. At another, it is a statement about what a university is meant to do: Not merely prepare students for employment, but also equip them with ethical awareness, cultural literacy and intellectual rootedness. In the present academic climate, where many institutions are reluctant to engage seriously with questions of heritage and identity, such a step acquires a...