AMRITSAR, May 10 -- The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) will organise a series of religious and academic programmes to commemorate the 650th birth anniversary of Sant Ravidas, falling on February 20, 2027. Addressing the media after a meeting of the SGPC sub-committee on Saturday, SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami said the apex gurdwara body has planned six seminars dedicated to the life, philosophy and "bani" (hymns and verses) of Sant Ravidas. In addition, eight kirtan darbars will be organised at different locations. Sant Ravidas was a prominent 15th-16th century mystic poet-saint and a key figure in the Bhakti Movement. Dhami said a special nagar kirtan would be taken out from Govardhanpur (Varanasi), the birthplace of Sant Ravidas, and would travel through various states before reaching Punjab. He added that SGPC would also publish booklets on the life and history of Sant Ravidas in multiple languages as part of the commemorative events. On another issue, Dhami said the National Testing Agency (NTA), through its advocate, had sent a letter apologising for incidents in which Sikh students were allegedly asked to remove their "kakaars" - the five articles of faith - during examinations. He said the agency had assured SGPC that such incidents would not recur in future. Replying to a question on the recently enacted anti-sacrilege law, Dhami said SGPC supports strict punishment for those found guilty of sacrilege. However, he said certain provisions in the amended law were unacceptable as they allegedly distance the Sikh community from Gurbani. He urged the government to address concerns being raised by the Sikh Sangat instead of turning the matter into an issue of prestige....