Why the Suspension of a Jamia Professor Over a Question Paper Should Worry Us
24 December 2025 | Apoorvanand | The Wire
It must horrify those of us who belong to the teaching community of India to learn that a professor has been penalised for doing his duty. I am writing about the suspension of Virendra Balaji Sahare of the Department of Social Work at Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) University. According to reports, he has been suspended “over a question in the BA (Hons) Social Work first-semester examination held earlier this week, in a paper titled ‘Social Problems in India’. The question read: ‘Discuss the atrocities against Muslim minorities in India, giving suitable examples.’”
This question paper was shared on social media by handles that follow and propagate the ideology of Hindutva. They took offence at the question and mounted a campaign demanding action against the person responsible for setting it….