Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) cancelled an exam for first-year BA LLB Hons students earlier this month after they received a question paper from the previous academic year. The university rescheduled the re-examination for January 27, 2026 . Students protested the decision, demanding the university evaluate their original papers instead of requiring a retest due to an administrative error.
Repeated Exam Paper Prompts Cancellation
The controversy centers on the “legal methods” (BLLB-105) exam held on December 4, 2025 . First-year BA LLB Hons students discovered their paper was nearly identical to the one administered for the same subject in the 2024–25 academic year . Only minor changes in question numbering and marking were observed.
The previous year’s exam was scored out of 50 marks, with five questions each carrying 10 marks. For the 2025 exam, the same five questions were allegedly repeated, but the total marks changed to 70, with each question valued at 14 marks. “We realised the paper was from the previous academic year. It was mostly unchanged,” stated Sameer, a first-year BA LLB Hons student.
During the exam, several students raised objections. Despite this, they were instructed to complete the paper. Approximately 180 students in the first-year batch, taught by Mohammad Nasir and Saim Farooqi for legal methods, took the exam.
University’s Initial Response and Student Protests
Ten days after the exam, on December 13 , Shakeel Ahmad, Dean of the AMU Faculty of Law, issued a notice. The notice cancelled the examination due to “unavoidable circumstances,” without providing specific details. An initial re-examination was scheduled for December 22 .
Students reacted with protests starting on December 15 . Demonstrations took place inside the law faculty. Students demanded the university evaluate their completed exams or provide an alternative solution, arguing against retaking an exam due to an error not of their making. “If the mistake was not ours, why should we write the exam again?” asked student Sameer.
Protests continued overnight, with many students remaining on campus. A student claimed protesters faced pressure to disperse. The student alleged that seniors and unknown individuals confronted students at night, resulting in one student being physically accosted. This incident reportedly caused fear, leading some students, particularly women, to leave the protest.
Revised Re-examination Date and Official Explanation
Following the student protests, AMU issued another notice on December 17 . This notice postponed the re-examination scheduled for December 22. The legal methods exam is now rescheduled for January 27, 2026 . Students reported receiving these updated notices via forwarded copies, highlighting communication issues.
Mujib Ullah Zuberi, Controller of Examinations, provided an official explanation in a video statement. Zuberi stated the question paper, prepared by the teacher, was not presented to the moderation committee at the chairman’s office. Instead, a sample paper, previously submitted by the controller of examinations to the moderation committee, was mistakenly sent as the final question paper for the exam.
Zuberi affirmed the university identified the error and would implement necessary steps to address it. He underscored the university’s commitment to maintaining the integrity of examinations. When contacted, Dean Shakeel Ahmad stated he had no information and referred inquiries to the Controller of Examinations. Legal methods teacher Mohammad Nasir also declined comment, citing lack of authorization and full information.
Students expressed ongoing uncertainty due to the administrative changes. They criticized the university for attributing the incident to “unavoidable circumstances” without clearer accountability for the identified administrative lapse.