A question featured in a third-term semester examination for law students of the Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIPU) asked the examinee to rule if a Muslim killing a cow in the presence of Hindus was considered an ‘offence’, Indian Express reported.
According to the report, the question goes as follows: “Ahmed, a Muslim kills a cow in a market in the presence of Rohit, Tushar, Manav and Rahul, who are Hindus. Has Ahmed committed any offence?”
The question was part of a Law of Crimes-I paper held on December 7. Colleges affiliated with the university among which 10 offer LLB courses received the question paper, according to the report.
Following the circulation of the image on social media, the university, quoted by IE, stated that it “regretted” the question and decided to “delete” it, and that students will not be evaluated on their answer. Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia told IE that he had ordered an inquiry into the matter.
“It is very bizarre and seems to be an attempt to disturb the harmony of society. We won’t tolerate such misconduct. I am ordering an inquiry, and if found true, strongest action will be taken,” Sisodia said, as quoted in the report.
A Supreme Court of India lawyer, Bilal Anwar Khan, tweeted an image of the question paper Sunday night and wrote, “Here is a new normal, de-humanising an entire community. A law college at Narela, NCR’s third-semester question paper (sic)”.
Here is a new normal, De-humanising an entire community, A Law College at Narela, NCR’s Third Semester Question Paper pic.twitter.com/qCSEloSUac
— Bilal Anwar (@bak_bilal) December 9, 2018
The law college referred to in the tweet is the Chandra Prabhu Jain (CPJ) College of Higher Studies and School of Law at Narela, which is affiliated to GGSIPU.
IE reported that Khan stated he had written to the university and the college about the matter but was yet to receive a response. In his email quoted in the report, he said, “The nature of question paper is highly derogatory in its form and nature against particular class and community. The question blatantly dehumanises one community which is against the very spirit of the Constitution of India and the egalitarian values… Please kindly take the appropriate action against such vilification.”
Neeta Beri, Principal of the School of Law at CPJ College, told IE that the university had made the question paper but added that she did not feel the need to take up the matter with the authorities. “I was not aware of this paper as I have been on leave, but I don’t think I need to raise a voice against this. It’s a question of law. Any situation can arise, and the court can be asked to take a decision on the same,” she said, as per the report.
An official at GGSIPU’s examination department, quoted in the report, said the paper was drafted in utmost confidentiality. While he did not reveal the examiner’s name, he said, “Questions are being asked on the basis of what is happening in society. It’s a good thing to ask students such questions so that they can correlate legal provision with the facts of the society. It has to be seen only from the academic perspective,” according to the report.
However, GGSIPU Registrar Satnam Singh said the university “regretted the error”. “You cannot connect anything to any religion. Of course it is bad. We do regret the question, and as of now the question stands deleted. No marks will be given for it, either for those who have attempted or for those who have not attempted. In future, we will also give an advisory to the examiners, that such questions should not be asked,” he IE in the report.
