English exam question for Class 4 listed “Ram” as option for name of a dog, sparking protests by right-wing groups
According to details received by The Chenab Times, the headmistress of a government primary school in Nakti village, Tilda block of Mahasamund district, Chhattisgarh, was placed under suspension on January 11, 2026, following complaints that a question in an English half-yearly examination paper insulted religious sentiments.
The controversy arose from a multiple-choice question in the Class 4 English paper that asked, “What is the name of Mona’s dog?” with “Ram” listed as one of the options. Officials said the headmistress later explained that she had intended to write “Ramu” but omitted the letter ‘U’ while preparing the paper. The examination was conducted last week at the school.
The question paper circulated on social media soon after, prompting written complaints from members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal to the Mahasamund District Collector and Superintendent of Police. The complainants demanded strict action against those responsible.
Superintendent of Police Prabhat Kumar confirmed that an FIR was registered last week against unknown persons under Section 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deals with deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings by insulting religion or religious beliefs. The offence is non-bailable.
District Education Officer Himanshu Bhartiya, based in Raipur, ordered an inquiry and constituted a five-member committee to investigate the matter. In a press statement, the education officer noted that “Ram is a revered deity of the Hindu religion, and including ‘Ram’ as an option has hurt religious sentiments.”
The inquiry established that the headmistress herself had set the question paper. She was subsequently suspended with immediate effect on Saturday pending further proceedings. The school is a government primary institution under the School Education Department of Chhattisgarh.
(Inputs from Indian Express and other reports)
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