India, March 11 -- 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 added significance. Few universities today are willing to expose students across disciplines to an intellectual and moral tradition that has profoundly shaped the society in which they live. The initiative reflects the vision of the university leadership. Such a step could scarcely have moved forward without at least tacit acceptance at the level of the Punjab government. That quiet space of comfort also merits appreciation, for universities often require not only internal leadership but an external climate that allows meaningful academic decisions to take shape. A university named after Guru Nanak Dev can scarcely remain detached from the spiritual, ethical and philosophical legacy associated with his name. To require every undergraduate student to acquire at least a basic understanding of Sikhism is not an act of exclusion. It is, rather, an act of institutional self-awareness - a recognition that education in Punjab, particularly at an institution bearing the name of the founder of Sikhism, cannot be wholly severed from the region's most formative civilisational tradition. This need not be misunderstood as doctrinal instruction. The title itself, Basic Knowledge of Sikhism, suggests a foundational and introductory paper, not a theological exercise. If approached with academic seriousness, it can introduce students to Sikh history, the teachings of the Gurus, the evolution of Sikh institutions, and the universal values embedded in the tradition - equality, service, justice, humility, courage, human dignity and moral responsibility. These are not narrow sectarian ideas. They are values of enduring public relevance. One of the striking weaknesses of contemporary higher education is that while policymakers often speak of value-based education, very few institutions show the confidence to give such values concrete curricular shape. Students are trained in technique, but not always in judgment; they are taught how to compete, but not necessarily how to reflect on society, duty or the deeper purpose of education. In such a situation, GNDU's initiative appears both timely and necessary. There will be some who question whether a public university should make such a course compulsory for all students, including those from non-Sikh backgrounds. That concern deserves to be taken seriously. But the distinction here is crucial: There is a difference between confessional religious instruction and civilisational literacy. A student in Punjab can only benefit from understanding the historical, social and ethical tradition that has played such a defining role in the region's public life. Sikhism is not merely a private matter of belief; it is deeply woven into Punjab's language, history, social reform movements, public institutions and moral imagination. The success of the initiative will, of course, depend on academic balance. The course must remain scholarly, inclusive and intellectually open - not sectarian, rhetorical or prescriptive. It should encourage students to understand and reflect, not merely memorise. If that balance is maintained, GNDU, Amritsar, may well set an example of how a university can connect heritage with higher learning in a thoughtful rather than dogmatic manner. The decision is also pragmatic in its mode of implementation. By routing the course through the Directorate of Open and Distance Learning and Online Studies, the university has recognised a practical reality: Not every affiliated or outlying college may immediately have the specialised teaching resources required. Online delivery is not merely a matter of convenience; it is a way of ensuring that the unavailability of faculty in some mofussil colleges does not obstruct a uniform rollout. Technology here is being used not to dilute the initiative but to widen its reach. Significantly, the Sikhism course was not proposed in isolation. The wider proceedings of the academic council suggest that GNDU is attempting a broader academic repositioning - considering online common courses, employability-oriented reforms, revival of academic centres and international collaborations, including engagement with the University of Maryland. This context matters because it shows that the university is not setting tradition against modernity. It is attempting to carry both together. GNDU appears to be saying that its students must be equipped for artificial intelligence, machine learning and global academic opportunities, but must also remain anchored in an ethical and civilisational framework that gives meaning to education beyond immediate utility. That is not a contradiction. On the contrary, it is precisely the balance Indian universities have long needed but rarely demonstrated. The real test lies ahead. Much will depend on the syllabus, the tone of instruction, the quality of digital delivery and the intellectual seriousness with which the subject is handled. A poorly designed course could reduce a worthy idea to tokenism. A well-crafted one could become a model of value-based education grounded in local heritage yet open in spirit. In an age when academic institutions often appear adrift, GNDU has offered a welcome sign of clarity. The academic council, under vice-chancellor Karamjeet Singh, has taken a decision that is not only academically meaningful but also morally relevant. For that, the initiative deserves to be welcomed - in a spirit of balance and appreciation....