JMI suspends social work professor over exam question on atrocities against Muslims, orders inquiry
New Delhi: Jamia Millia Islamia has suspended a faculty member from its Department of Social Work after objections were raised to a question in an end-of-semester examination paper that asked students to discuss atrocities against Muslim minorities in India.
The suspended teacher is identified as Prof. Virendra Balaji Shahare, who had set the BA (Hons) Social Work Semester-I examination paper for the course Social Problems in India for the 2025-26 academic session. University officials said multiple complaints were received from various quarters regarding the content of the question paper, prompting administrative action.
According to a Maktoob Media report, the university said, in an order issued on December 23, the competent authority had taken a serious view of what it described as negligence and carelessness on the part of the paper setter. Acting on the Vice-Chancellor’s directions and invoking Statute 37(1) of the university statutes, Prof. Shahare was placed under suspension with immediate effect, pending the outcome of a formal inquiry, stating that a police complaint would be filed in accordance with rules.
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During the period of suspension, Prof. Shahare has been directed to remain headquartered in New Delhi and has been barred from leaving without prior permission. Copies of the order have been sent to senior officials, including the dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, the head of the Department of Social Work and the Controller of Examinations.
While the university has not publicly clarified the precise nature of the objections to the examination question, it has triggered strong reactions on campus and beyond, with students, teachers and rights groups questioning the move.
Describing Professor Shahare as a committed teacher, Humaira Aftab, a former student of the department, said that the question was directly linked to the subject being taught and she further argued that examining the condition of minorities was central to understanding social problems. She also warned that the suspension could set a troubling precedent for academic discourse.
A faculty member from Jamia, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the action reflected a broader climate in which universities were under pressure to avoid questions that could lead to scrutiny of state policies or social realities, adding that institutional leaderships were increasingly constrained in defending academic autonomy.
Calling it an attack on academic freedom, the Jamia unit of the Fraternity Movement has also demanded the immediate revocation of the suspension. Cautioning that continued inaction could lead to collective protests by students, the group said in a statement, the examination question fell squarely within the scope of the course.
The inquiry against Prof. Shahare is yet to begin, while the suspension will remain in force until its completion.
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BMC turning blind eye to air pollution issue, says HC; questions nod for over 125 projects in city
Mumbai (PTI): The Bombay High Court on Wednesday castigated the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for turning a "blind eye" towards the issue of air pollution in the city and for "not doing anything" to mitigate the problem.
A bench of Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad also questioned as to how the BMC has granted sanction to over 125 construction projects over Rs 1,000 crore in a small city like Mumbai, stating that the situation has now gone beyond the civic body's control.
The court had warned the BMC that it would pass orders restraining it from granting any further permissions for construction if the air pollution situation persists in the city.
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"How can 125 projects worth more than Rs 1,000 crore be sanctioned in such a small city? That is a lot. Now the situation has gone beyond your (BMC) control. Now you are not able to manage things," HC said.
The court urged the BMC to strengthen its mechanism in such a way that the measures are preventive in nature and not remedial.
The court was hearing a bunch of petitions raising concerns over the deteriorating air quality index in the city.
"The BMC is not doing anything. Even the minimal requirement is not being done. You (BMC) don't have anything in place. There is no implementation plan," the court said.
The civic body has not applied its mind at all, it added.
"The BMC is not working at all. There is no monitoring. The BMC has turned a blind eye to the issue," the HC said, adding the measures taken have to be preventive and not remedial.
The court noted that despite having wide powers, the BMC was not doing anything.
The high court was also irked with the 91 squads of the BMC not conducting inspections at construction sites.
Senior counsel S U Kamdar, appearing for BMC, said on Tuesday 39 sites were visited. The officers of the other squads are busy with election duty, he said.
The bench then said election duty cannot be an excuse.
"You (BMC) can always make an application to the election commission seeking exemption," it said.
Kamdar told the bench that AQI on Wednesday was at 88 which is considered satisfactory. The situation last year was worse, he said.
The bench, however, said simply saying pollution has decreased does not mean the BMC was working.
When the court questioned what the corporation proposed to do in the next two weeks, BMC commissioner Bhushan Gagrani, who was present in the court, said the squads would inspect a minimum of two construction sites per day and take necessary action.
The bench said the squads should be provided with button cameras and GPS devices.
The bench posted the matter for further hearing on January 20.
