Meerut professor banned from exam duties for ‘controversial’ questions on RSS
The exam paper, set by head of the political science department, reportedly included questions that linked the RSS to the rise of religious and caste-based politics
MEERUT A government-run college, affiliated to the Chaudhary Charan Singh University (CCSU), has permanently debarred a political science professor from all examination and evaluation duties for allegedly setting a question paper containing controversial questions about the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), officials said on Friday.
The order to impose a “lifetime ban” on Prof Seema Panwar of Meerut College came hours after a protest by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) -- the students’ wing of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
The controversy stems from an exam conducted on April 2, 2025, for second-semester political science students. The question paper, set by Prof Seema Panwar, head of the political science department, reportedly included questions that linked the RSS to the rise of religious and caste-based politics. The organisation’s name was also included alongside Naxalites, the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front and other groups in a question.
The inclusion of these references triggered immediate backlash from ABVP members, who accused the professor of maligning the RSS. ABVP activists staged a protest on the CCSU campus, demanding action against Panwar. They also submitted a memorandum to registrar Dhirendra Kumar Verma, calling for strict disciplinary measures.
Following an internal inquiry, the university identified Panwar as the paper setter. Registrar Verma confirmed the decision, saying: “She has been debarred from all examination and evaluation work in the university for life.”
In response to the uproar, Panwar submitted a written apology to the university administration. “She has apologized in writing, stating that she did not do this intentionally to hurt anyone,” Verma added.
