Punjab Politics & Governance

Former SGPC Accountant Arrested in Case of 328 Missing Guru Granth Sahib Volumes

2 January 2026

Punjab Police arrested former Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee chartered accountant Satinder Singh Kohli in Chandigarh in the investigation into 328 missing Guru Granth Sahib volumes. The arrest was the first in the case, in which 16 people were named in an FIR; Kohli was remanded in police custody for six days.

A Special Investigation Team is investigating the case and conducted searches at 15 locations across Punjab and Chandigarh on 3 January.

Key Facts

• Sikhs revere the Guru Granth Sahib as their final and eternal Guru, giving the missing volumes profound religious significance.
• The SGPC manages Sikh places of worship, including their financial, security, maintenance and religious affairs.

Punjab signs insurance agreement for planned ₹10-lakh-per-family health scheme

2 January 2026

Punjab signed an agreement with United India Insurance Company as part of the planned Chief Minister’s Health Scheme, which aims to provide cashless treatment cover of up to ₹10 lakh per family annually. Under the announced arrangement, the insurer would provide the first ₹1 lakh of cover for each family, while the State Health Agency would manage cover from ₹1 lakh to ₹10 lakh on a trust basis. The scheme was scheduled to be formally launched on 15 January.

Key Facts

• The planned scheme covers all Punjab residents, including government employees and pensioners, without income limits or exclusion criteria.
• United India Insurance will cover the first ₹1 lakh per family; Punjab’s State Health Agency will provide cover from ₹1 lakh to ₹10 lakh on a trust basis.

PACE winter camps train 1,728 government-school students

2 January 2026

Punjab’s PACE winter residential coaching camps trained 1,728 government-school students at centres in Bathinda, Ludhiana and SAS Nagar. The camps prepared students for competitive entrance examinations for institutions such as the IITs, NITs and AIIMS, with teaching aligned to JEE and NEET patterns.

The programme included doubt-clearing sessions, individual mentoring and career guidance. Students were selected through a multi-stage process; 20% of seats at each centre were reserved for students from other government schools and drop-year candidates.

Key Facts

• JEE has two stages: Main provides access to NITs and other technical institutes, while Advanced is used for IIT admissions.

Punjab distributes appointment letters to 606 Education Department candidates

3 January 2026

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann distributed appointment letters to 606 Education Department candidates at Tagore Theatre on 3 January. The appointments comprised 385 special educator teachers, 157 primary teachers, eight principals and 56 employees appointed on compassionate grounds. Mann said 61,281 government appointments had been made since the recruitment drive began in April 2022.

Key Facts

• A dedicated special-educator cadre supports children with special needs studying in Punjab government schools.

SIT Summons SGPC Secretary for Records in Missing-Saroops Investigation

5 January 2026

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the case of 328 missing sacred saroops summoned Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) secretary Partap Singh to provide records. The police account said repeated requests for documents had not been met.

Key Facts

• The SGPC oversees gurdwaras’ security, finances, facilities and religious affairs, making its records pertinent to the investigation.
• Sikhs regard the Guru Granth Sahib as their final, sovereign and eternal Guru.

Punjab Cabinet approves 33% reservation for women in government jobs

5 January 2026

Punjab’s Cabinet approved 33% reservation for women in government jobs across Groups A, B, C and D. The approval was reported on 5 January; the supplied source does not establish that the reservation had been implemented.

Key Facts

• The reservation is intended to widen women’s participation in administrative and decision-making roles, as well as employment.

Punjab reports free pregnancy care and ultrasound services through Aam Aadmi Clinics

5 January 2026

Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh said Aam Aadmi Clinics provide antenatal tests and refer pregnant women for free ultrasound scans through nearly 500 listed private diagnostic centres. He reported that more than 10,000 women had received free scans and that about 20,000 pregnant women access the clinics each month.

Key Facts

• Punjab’s Aam Aadmi Clinic network comprises 881 clinics established over three years.

Ludhiana launches Mission Jeevani for maternal-health monitoring

6 January 2026

Ludhiana launched Mission Jeevani ...