A controversy broke out in Madhya Pradesh’s Raisen district after the principal of a convent school allegedly handed out alphabet charts containing Islamic references. The incident has prompted the education department to launch an investigation, officials said on August 9, 2025.
Officials stated that Baby Convent School principal I.A. Qureshi allegedly distributed Hindi alphabet charts to students, which included references such as ‘Ka’ for Kaba, ‘Ma’ for Masjid, and ‘Na’ for Namaz.
Members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad held a protest on August 8, 2025 and surrounded Qureshi. Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Pratibha Sharma stated that police managed to bring the situation under control. She added, “The issue falls under the jurisdiction of the education department and has been referred to the district education officer (DEO).”
District Education Officer D.D. Rajak confirmed that an investigation is underway. “According to the education department’s guidelines, study materials containing religious symbols from any specific faith are not allowed to be taught in schools,” he said.
Principal Qureshi acknowledged her “inadvertent” mistake, explaining that one or two books featuring mixed Urdu-Hindi multiplication tables had been given to students. She stated that the alphabet charts were obtained from Bhopal, and due to an error by the seller, three to four items—typically used in madrasas—were mistakenly included.
