A caste-related question has been asked in the question paper of Salem Periyar University History department examination which has caused controversy.
In the examination conducted by Salem Periyar University, caste based question is asked. Yesterday, the second semester examination for second year undergraduate students of History in colleges under the control of Periyar University was completed. The 11th question in the question paper given to the students in this examination was ''Which is the lowest caste in Tamil Nadu?'' The question has been asked to create caste sentiment partiality among the students. A student has severely criticized this on social media and recorded it. This news has started going viral on social media.
Periyar University Vice-Chancellor said "question papers are prepared by professors in external colleges and universities. As the question papers should not be leaked out, there is no practice of reading the question papers in advance and hence such mistakes may have happened. And who drafted the controversial question papers are unknown? The Vice-Chancellor said that the Periyar University Examination Control Officer has been ordered to submit a report and a committee has been constituted to investigate the matter".
We spoke to some college professors about this, ''Recently, caste discrimination is rampant in the university. Last month, the Social Justice Research Committee conducted a study at the university. However, teachers are currently involved in similar activities. The question paper should be prepared by the university itself for the colleges which are running under the control of the university. But no one follows this. They prepare the question paper with outside professor. Also, the university should print the required materials for the colleges concerned with the question paper. But the university does not follow any of this,” they said.