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‘Atrocities against Muslims’ — Jamia professor suspended over this question in term exam

The question – “Discuss the atrocities against Muslim Minorities in India giving suitable example.” — appeared in the B.A. (Hons) Social Work Semester I Examination – 2025 in a paper titled Social Problems in India, which was held on Sunday.

5 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Dec 24, 2025 09:43 AM IST

atrocities against Muslims, Jamia Millia Islamia, Jamia Millia Islamia University, Jamia professor suspended, delhi news, India news, Indian express, current affairs

“During the suspension period, his headquarters will be New Delhi and he shall not leave the headquarters without prior permission," reads the order.

The Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) university has placed a senior professor from the Department of Social Work under suspension and initiated disciplinary proceedings against him after complaints were received over a question in an undergraduate semester examination referring to “atrocities against Muslim minorities in India”, said officials. The varsity has also said that it will ask the police to register an FIR in the matter. An inquiry committee will examine the matter, said the university, and Prof. Virendra Balaji Shahare will stay suspended until the committee reaches a conclusion. The Indian Express reached out to Shahare over email and phone but received no response.

The question – “Discuss the atrocities against Muslim Minorities in India giving suitable example.” — appeared in the B.A. (Hons) Social Work Semester I Examination – 2025 in a paper titled Social Problems in India, which was held on Sunday.

In an official order issued by the Office of the Registrar, Establishment Section (Teaching) on Tuesday, the university said that complaints had been received regarding the content of the end-semester paper. The paper was set by Prof Shahare, according to the varsity’s order issued in the matter.

Jamia’s Department of Social Work is recognised as a University Grants Commission Centre of Advanced Study.

Citing what it described as lapses on the part of the Professor, the university stated in the order, “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. In this matter, 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.”

Invoking statutory provisions, the order adds: “… Prof. Shahare, Department of Social Work is under suspension with immediate effect pending inquiry against him.” “During the suspension period, his headquarters will be in New Delhi and he shall not leave the headquarters without prior permission,” reads the order.

Meanwhile, a student group, The Fraternity Movement, JMI, demanded the revocation of the suspension and said that as the paper setter, Shahare had “raised critical questions on the atrocities faced by the Muslim minority in India”. It alleged that “the university administration has chosen punishment over academic freedom, going so far as to file an FIR against him”. “If a university historically known for its Muslim identity and tradition of intellectual resistance cannot allow honest engagement with social realities, then who will?” the statement added.

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According to Shahare’s curriculum vitae on Jamia Millia Islamia’s official website, he has more than 22 years of teaching and research experience. “Rural and Urban Community Development, Dalit and Tribal Studies, Social Exclusion and Inclusion and Education and Social Development,” have been listed as his interests.

He holds a Ph.D and M.Phil from the Centre for the Study of Social Systems, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, and an M.A (Social Work) Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.

The CV states that he has previously taught and supervised students at institutions including Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi University, and Nagpur University, and has served in multiple administrative roles, including Convenor, Departmental Research Committee (DRC), at Department of Social Work, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi between 2019-2022 and Ph. D Coordinator, in the Department of Social Work, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi between 2019-2020.

His research papers and conference presentations span issues such as social exclusion,violence against marginalised groups, manual scavenging, migrant workers, Dalit women, and human rights. His publications include books such as NGOs and Dalit Development and Practice of Social Work Emerging Concerns”

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The CV also notes that he has presented a paper titled:Covid-19 Pandemic: Atrocities and Social Exclusion in India at an international conference organised by Erfurt University of Applied Sciences, Germany, in June 2021.

According to the CV, he has previously “organised [a] Workshop on ‘Empowerment of Muslims in India–An Interface of Civil Society Organisations with Professional Social Workers: A Way Forward’ at Centre for Advanced Studies, Department of Social Work, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, 12th March, 2014”, and “attended [a] Consultation Workshop for ‘Preparing Conceptual Framework for Identification of Destitute and most Vulnerable Sections of Muslim Population in Delhi’ on 18th October 2012, organised by The Research and Resource Unit on Social Work with Minorities, Centre for Advanced Studies, Department of Social Work, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, in collaboration with the Delhi Waqf Board.”

Vidheesha Kuntamalla

Vidheesha Kuntamalla is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in New Delhi. She is known for her investigative reporting on higher education policy, international student immigration, and academic freedom on university campuses. Her work consistently connects policy decisions with lived realities, foregrounding how administrative actions, political pressure, and global shifts affect students, faculty, and institutions. Professional Profile Core Beat: Vidheesha covers education in Delhi and nationally, reporting on major public institutions including the University of Delhi (DU), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Jamia Millia Islamia, the IITs, and the IIMs. She also reports extensively on private and government schools in the National Capital Region. Prior to joining The Indian Express, she worked as a freelance journalist in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh for over a year, covering politics, rural issues, women-centric issues, and social justice. Specialisation: She has developed a strong niche in reporting on the Indian student diaspora, particularly the challenges faced by Indian students and H-1B holders in the United States. Her work examines how geopolitical shifts, immigration policy changes, and campus politics impact global education mobility. She has also reported widely on: * Mental health crises and student suicides at IITs * Policy responses to campus mental health * Academic freedom and institutional clampdowns at JNU, South Asian University (SAU), and Delhi University * Curriculum and syllabus changes under the National Education Policy Her recent reporting has included deeply reported human stories on policy changes during the Trump administration and their consequences for Indian students and researchers in the US. Reporting Style Vidheesha is recognised for a human-centric approach to policy reporting, combining investigative depth with intimate storytelling. Her work often highlights the anxieties of students and faculty navigating bureaucratic uncertainty, legal precarity, and institutional pressure. She regularly works with court records, internal documents, official data, and disciplinary frameworks to expose structural challenges to academic freedom. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2024 & 2025) 1. Express Investigation Series JNU’s fault lines move from campus to court: University fights students and faculty (November 2025) An Indian Express investigation found that since 2011, JNU has appeared in over 600 cases before the Delhi High Court, filed by the administration, faculty, staff, students, and contractual workers across the tenures of three Vice-Chancellors. JNU’s legal wars with students and faculty pile up under 3 V-Cs | Rs 30-lakh fines chill campus dissent (November 2025) The report traced how steep monetary penalties — now codified in the Chief Proctor’s Office Manual — are reshaping dissent and disciplinary action on campus. 2. International Education & Immigration ‘Free for a day. Then came ICE’: Acquitted after 43 years, Indian-origin man faces deportation — to a country he has never known (October 2025) H-1B $100,000 entry fee explained: Who pays, who’s exempt, and what’s still unclear? (September 2025) Khammam to Dallas, Jhansi to Seattle — audacious journeys in pursuit of the American dream after H-1B visa fee hike (September 2025) What a proposed 15% cap on foreign admissions in the US could mean for Indian students (October 2025) Anxiety on campus after Trump says visas of pro-Palestinian protesters will be cancelled (January 2025) ‘I couldn’t believe it’: F-1 status of some Indian students restored after US reverses abrupt visa terminations (April 2025) 3. Academic Freedom & Policy Exclusive: South Asian University fires professor for ‘inciting students’ during stipend protests (September 2025) Exclusive: Ministry seeks explanation from JNU V-C for skipping Centre’s meet, views absence ‘seriously’ (July 2025) SAU rows after Noam Chomsky mentions PM Modi, Lankan scholar resigns, PhD student exits SAU A series of five stories examining shrinking academic freedom at South Asian University after global scholar Noam Chomsky referenced Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an academic interaction, triggering administrative unease and renewed debate over political speech, surveillance, and institutional autonomy on Indian campuses. 4. Mental Health on Campuses In post-pandemic years, counselling rooms at IITs are busier than ever; IIT-wise data shows why (August 2025) Campus suicides: IIT-Delhi panel flags toxic competition, caste bias, burnout (April 2025) 5. Delhi Schools These Delhi government school grads are now success stories. Here’s what worked — and what didn’t (February 2025) ‘Ma’am… may I share something?’ Growing up online and alone, why Delhi’s teens are reaching out (December 2025) ... Read More

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