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.
ALSO READ: BJP wins Kinnigoli, Bajpe, Manki Town Panchayat elections
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.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Davanagere South bypoll: Cong Muslim leaders allege internal conspiracy to defeat party candidate
Bengaluru (PTI): A rift within the Karnataka Congress surfaced on Friday, a day after the bypolls to two Assembly constituencies in the state, as a group of Muslim leaders alleged a "conspiracy" by some of their own senior party leaders to defeat the official candidate in Davanagere South.
However, they asserted that despite efforts by some within to project that Congress "betrayed" Muslims, the party candidate Samarth Mallikarjun will win in Davanagere South, the constituency where the community has a significant presence.
Chief Whip in the Legislative Council Saleem Ahmed, MLAs Rizwan Arshad, Yasir Ahmed Khan Pathan, MLC Bilkis Bano, and other Congress leaders addressed a joint press conference regarding this at the party office here.
"It is a sad thing that some senior leaders of our own party have conspired to defeat the Congress, despite this minorities have voted for the Congress. KPCC President (D K Shivakumar), the Chief Minister (Siddaramaiah) and the AICC General Secretary (Randeep Singh Surjewala) are aware of this. People have voted for Congress, its ideology and its five guarantee schemes," Ahmed said.
Noting that Samath Mallikarjun was given a ticket after taking all minority leaders of the party into confidence and following their consent, he said, "But after that because of some misconceptions, conspiracies have been hatched. But still, I'm confident that Congress candidate Samarth will win".
According to party sources, these Muslim leaders have also complained to AICC and state party leadership regarding attempts for "internal sabotage" in Davanagere South.
Though the leaders did not indicate who they were accusing. Several party sources said their attack was directed at Housing Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan, among a few others.
Khan, who had openly demanded the Davanagere South ticket for a Muslim candidate, had initially stayed away from campaigning in the segment, citing his Kerala poll responsibilities. However, he addressed a press meet along with Samarth's father and Minister SS Mallikarjun at the request of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
MLA Arshad said that there was a massive social media campaign against the Congress party, by the BJP, SDPI and Independents, alleging "betrayal" of the minorities by the Congress. Some within the party, too, tried to project the same.
"We indeed demanded a ticket for the minority, and the party considered it. However, since we, as minority leaders, had to provide a unanimous candidate, we only put forward Abdul Jabbar's name because he is the MLC from the region, and he also pressured us. I think we first failed there, as ground-level party workers did not accept it and some other leaders believed he wasn't that popular," he said.
Arshad noted that the party finally named Samarth Mallikarjun as the candidate "after considering all factors and taking all Muslim leaders into confidence".
"However, some of us Muslim leaders who worked for the party's official candidate were projected as anti-Muslim on social media," he claimed.
Some leaders who accepted the party's decision to nominate Samarth as the party candidate during the meeting called to decide it later showed indirect signs of resistance, he said. "An attempt was made by others, including some within the Congress, to project that the Congress has betrayed the Muslims. This has caused us pain."
Bypolls for Davanagere South were held along with Bagalkot on Thursday. The election was necessitated following the death of sitting MLAs Shamanur Shivashankarappa and H Y Meti respectively.
Muslim disgruntlement appears to be a concern for the Congress in Davanagere South. With 14 of the 25 candidates in the fray belonging to the community, there are apprehensions within the party about a split in votes, which could benefit the BJP.
Given its significant presence in the constituency, the Muslim community strongly demanded the Congress ticket for Davanagere South. Some party factions had opposed giving the ticket to the Shamanur family.
Although the Congress was successful in persuading rebel candidate Sadiq Pailwan to withdraw from the contest, he remained in the fray as the move came after the deadline for withdrawal of nominations.
