Prof Virendra Balaji Shahare suspended amid fears of pressure on academic freedom and silencing of Muslim voices
NEW DELHI — Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) has been shaken by a major controversy after a semester examination question asking students to discuss “atrocities against Muslim minorities in India” led to protests by Hindu organisations and swift action by the university administration.
The question appeared in the first-semester BA (Honours) Social Work examination held on December 21. Within hours, images of the question paper were circulated online, followed by angry reactions from right-wing Hindu groups. Soon after, the university suspended the paper setter, Prof Virendra Balaji Shahare, and set up an internal inquiry committee.
Many students and teachers say the action sends a worrying message: that speaking about the lived reality of Muslims in India can invite punishment, even inside a central university known for its academic traditions and minority character.
“This is a Social Work paper. Talking about violence, discrimination and injustice faced by any community is part of our syllabus,” said a postgraduate student from the department. “Why is only Muslim suffering treated as a crime to mention?”
The disputed question asked students to: “Discuss the atrocities against Muslim minorities in India with appropriate examples.”
Students who appeared for the exam said the question was well within the scope of social work education, which deals with marginalised groups, social injustice, and human rights.
“A social worker cannot shut eyes to what Muslims face today,” another student said. “From mob lynching to hate speech, these are facts reported daily. Writing about them is not propaganda.”
The Jamia administration suspended Prof Shahare on grounds of “negligence and carelessness” and announced an internal investigation. He will remain suspended until the committee submits its report.
जामिया मिल्लिया इस्लामिया में बीएस ऑनर्स की परीक्षा में ये सवाल पूछा गया कि “भारत में मुस्लिम माइनॉरिटी पर अत्याचार के उदाहरण दें।”
— Ashraf Hussain (@AshrafFem) December 23, 2025
परीक्षा में ऐसे ‘विवादित’ सवाल पूछने पर एक विचारधारा वाली पार्टी के ‘समर्थक’ गुस्सा हो गए। जामिया प्रशासन पर कारवाई कि मांग करने लगे।
इसके बाद… pic.twitter.com/rw8WnpOnQ6
A senior faculty member, speaking on condition of anonymity, questioned the haste. “There is a full process for approving question papers. A committee checks them. If there is a problem, why only punish one teacher?” the faculty member asked. “This looks like scapegoating under pressure.”
It has emerged that the question passed through the department’s standard scrutiny system before reaching students, raising serious doubts about the claim of individual fault.
Teachers and students allege that the action was taken after protests by Hindu organisations and online outrage, rather than on academic grounds.
“The message is clear,” said a Jamia teacher. “You can talk about poverty, caste, or gender. But the moment you name Muslims as victims, there is trouble.”
Student groups at Jamia said the move reflects a wider climate in the country, where Muslim identity and pain are often questioned or denied.
“This is not just about one question,” said a student activist. “It is about whose pain is allowed in classrooms. Muslims are beaten, abused, and killed. If we cannot study this reality, then education becomes a lie.”
Jamia Millia Islamia has not issued a detailed public statement explaining why the question was found objectionable. Attempts to contact Prof Shahare were unsuccessful.
University officials have only said that “no leniency will be shown” until the inquiry is complete, a phrase that has further angered students.
“What is the crime here?” asked a research scholar. “Asking students to think, read, and write about Muslims?”
For many at Jamia, a university founded to empower Muslims through education, the episode has caused deep hurt.
“Jamia has always stood for truth and justice,” a final-year student said. “If even Jamia starts punishing talk about Muslim suffering, where will we go?”
As the inquiry continues, the controversy has turned into a wider debate about academic freedom, minority rights, and whether universities can still speak honestly about Muslims in today’s India.
