Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) students are protesting the suspension of Professor Virendra Balaji Shahare. The university administration suspended Shahare over an exam question. The BA (Hons) Social Work semester exam included a question on “atrocities against Muslim minorities.” Students from various departments assert the question was “clearly and unambiguously” within the course syllabus.
Professor Suspension Controversy
Professor Virendra Balaji Shahare , a faculty member in the Social Work department, faced suspension by JMI. The action stems from a specific question posed in a recent BA (Hons) Social Work exam. Students firmly state Shahare committed no wrongdoing. They criticize the university’s decision.
Syllabus Alignment Defended
Students from the Social Work department released a statement. They attached a copy of the official syllabus. Their statement affirms the question was “clearly and unambiguously” aligned with the curriculum. The syllabus explicitly requires critical engagement with social realities. These realities include marginalisation, discrimination, violence, and structural injustices. Students argue penalizing a professor for facilitating critical inquiry undermines fundamental social science education principles.
JMI’s curriculum includes courses like Dalit and Minority Studies, Social Inclusion, Human Rights, and Social Justice. These programs rely on critical inquiry, structural analysis, and examination of social inequality. Students highlight this alignment as further proof of the question’s validity.
Allegations of Misuse of Power
The university’s suspension order cited Statute 37(1) of Jamia Millia Islamia. This statute allows for teacher suspension only in “exceptional circumstances.” Students categorize the administration’s action as a “misuse of power.” They contend that setting an examination question, approved through institutional mechanisms and aligned with the syllabus, does not constitute misconduct, negligence, or carelessness.
Exam papers at JMI follow a stringent approval process. Moderation committees scrutinize and approve question papers. The Controller of Examinations (CoE) grants final clearance. Students question the selective nature of the suspension. They ask why only Shahare was targeted, while the moderation committees and CoE, who bear statutory responsibility, faced no scrutiny.
Concerns Over Bias and FIR Threat
Students voiced concerns about procedural fairness. They also pointed to potential institutional bias. They highlighted Professor Shahare’s identity as a Dalit academic. Students suggested making an example of him appeared “institutionally easier” than questioning higher authorities or collective bodies.
The students also termed the suspension a “disturbing pattern.” They found the mention of filing a police FIR against a faculty member for a syllabus-compliant academic question “deeply alarming.” Students stated this action is disproportionate. They warned it sets a “dangerous precedent of criminalizing pedagogy.” Academic disagreements or public discomfort, they argue, must not be converted into criminal liability.
Student Demands and Support
Students demand immediate revocation of Professor Shahare’s suspension. They also seek a public apology from the university. The apology should address “wrongly accusing, defaming, and subjecting him to reputational harm.” Students further demand an assurance. No faculty member, especially those from marginalized communities, should be scapegoated for institutional decisions.
Other departments and student bodies within JMI have issued public statements. These statements echo support for Professor Shahare. They collectively assert that dialogue, not punitive action, should remain the guiding principle of university governance.