A question included in a recent examination paper of the Social Work Department at Jamia Millia Islamia has sparked controversy, with critics accusing the state-run university of promoting a one-sided narrative on communal issues using public funds.
The controversy centres on a question in a BA (Hons) Social Work Semester I examination titled Social Problems in India, which asked students to “Discuss the atrocities against Muslim minorities in India giving suitable examples.” Photographs of the question paper have circulated widely on social media, prompting sharp reactions from various quarters.
Critics argue that while the syllabus and the question focus exclusively on atrocities against Muslims, they omit references to instances where members of other communities have been victims of communal violence. Some have pointed out that high-profile cases involving Hindu victims, such as Ram Gopal Mishra, find no mention in academic framing, while incidents like the killing of Akhlaq are repeatedly foregrounded in public discourse.
Opponents of the question allege that such framing reflects ideological bias rather than balanced academic inquiry, especially in a publicly funded institution. They contend that a social work curriculum should address communal violence in a comprehensive and even-handed manner, examining atrocities across communities rather than focusing on a single religious group.
The issue has also raised broader questions about the role of state-funded universities in shaping narratives on sensitive social and political issues. Critics have questioned whether taxpayer-funded institutions should frame examination questions in a manner that, in their view, reinforces selective memory and ideological positioning rather than encouraging critical, comparative analysis of social problems.
Question in a paper by social work department of Jamia Millia Islamia college – “DISCUSS ATROCITIES AGAINST MUSLIMS IN INDIA GIVING SUITABLE EXAMPLES”
Jamia is a state-run university. On our tax money, they are teaching how to only remember Akhlaq and totally ignore Ram Gopal… pic.twitter.com/GaD65TjczS
— Swati Goel Sharma (@swati_gs) December 22, 2025
Following multiple complaints, Jamia Millia Islamia issued an official order on 23 December 2025, placing Prof. Virendra Balaji Shahare of the Department of Social Work under suspension with immediate effect. The university said the competent authority had taken a “serious view” of the negligence and carelessness involved in setting the question paper and described the act as unbecoming of a faculty member. The order stated that an inquiry had been initiated and that an FIR would be filed as per rules.
According to the suspension order issued by the Office of the Registrar, Prof. Shahare, who was the paper setter for Social Problems in India, will remain under suspension pending inquiry. During this period, his headquarters have been fixed as New Delhi, and he has been barred from leaving without prior permission of the competent authority.
Jamia Millia Islamia suspends Social Work Dept professor for extremely provocative and communally polarising question in Semester 1 question paper. Inquiry ordered. FIR being filed.
JMI is a Central University with a mixed student community. The question shows malicious intent. pic.twitter.com/GSHzJOsg2o— Kanchan Gupta 🇮🇳 (@KanchanGupta) December 23, 2025
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