Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), a central university, has suspended a senior faculty member after an examination question in an undergraduate course referring to “atrocities against Muslim minorities in India” triggered a major controversy and drew sharp criticism from students, academics and political observers.
The professor, identified as Prof. Virendra Balaji Shahare of the Department of Social Work, was the paper setter for the BA (Hons) Social Work Semester I Examination 2025. The question appeared in the paper titled Social Problems in India and asked students to “Discuss the atrocities against Muslim minorities in India giving suitable examples.”
The controversy erupted after photographs of the question paper began circulating on social media, prompting allegations that the phrasing reflected political and communal bias rather than academic neutrality. Several students reportedly filed formal complaints with the university administration, objecting to what they described as a “provocative” and “one-sided” framing of a sensitive issue.
The issue gained wider attention after Kanchan Gupta, Senior Adviser in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, publicly criticised the question. In a post on social media, Gupta said the content of the exam paper raised serious concerns.
“Jamia Millia Islamia suspends Social Work Department professor for extremely provocative and communally polarising question in Semester I question paper. Inquiry ordered. FIR being filed,” he wrote.
“JMI is a Central University with a mixed student community. The question shows malicious intent,” he added.
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
In an official order issued by the Office of the Registrar, Establishment Section (Training), Jamia Millia Islamia confirmed that disciplinary action had been initiated against Prof. Shahare following complaints about the examination paper.
“The Competent Authority, JMI, has taken a serious view on the negligence and carelessness on the part of Prof. Virendra Balaji Shahare, Department of Social Work,” the order stated.
“On the instruction of the competent authority, the paper setter is placed under suspension till further orders and an FIR will be filed as per rules,” it added, underscoring that the university viewed the lapse as serious.
The order also directed that Prof. Shahare will not be permitted to leave his headquarters in New Delhi during the period of suspension, pending completion of the inquiry.
While confirming the suspension and the filing of an FIR, the university has not publicly elaborated on the precise nature of the objections raised against the question paper. Officials have indicated that the inquiry committee will examine whether established academic and examination-setting norms were violated and whether due oversight mechanisms failed.
Jamia has also said it will review internal processes related to moderation and vetting of question papers to prevent similar incidents in the future.
According to his official profile on the Jamia Millia Islamia website, Prof. Virendra Balaji Shahare has over 22 years of teaching and research experience. His academic interests include rural and urban community development, Dalit and tribal studies, social exclusion and inclusion, and education and social development.
He currently serves as a Professor in the Department of Social Work at the UGC Centre of Advanced Study, Jamia Millia Islamia. He holds a PhD and MPhil from the Centre for the Study of Social Systems, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, and a Master’s degree in Social Work from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.
Prof. Shahare has previously taught at Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi University and Nagpur University, and has served in several academic roles, including PhD Coordinator in the Department of Social Work.
