On December 23, 2025, Jamia Millia Islamia suspended Virendra Balaji Shahare, a faculty member in the Department of Social Work, following complaints regarding a final exam question.

While creating the final exam for the course, “Social Problems in India,” Shahare included a question asking students to “discuss the atrocities against Muslim minorities in India.” Following student complaints, the university suspended the professor under Statute 37(1), which permits suspension for misconduct, negligence, or “unbecoming conduct.” In a letter to the administration, other students noted that the question aligned with the course syllabus, which encouraged students to engage critically with social injustice.

As of February 2025, Shahare remained suspended pending an inquiry into alleged violations of university norms.

Scholars at Risk is concerned by the suspension of a scholar over the content of an exam question. The right to determine classroom content and assessment tools is a core component of a scholars’ right to exercising academic freedom. University authorities should refrain from retaliating against faculty for the responsible pursuit of their work. In addition to the harm to the immediate victim, suspensions aimed at restricting or retaliating against academic activity undermine academic freedom, institutional autonomy, and democratic society generally.

Sources:
https://maktoobmedia.com/india/jmi-suspends-professor-orders-fir-over-semester-exam-question-on-atrocities-against-muslims-in-india/
https://maktoobmedia.com/india/jamia-students-back-dalit-professor-suspended-over-exam-question-on-atrocities-against-muslims/