A question about caste in a Tamil Nadu college’s second semester MA History exam paper has courted controversy in the state.
1st year MA History students of Periyar University in Salem were asked a question about caste.
The question "Which one is the lower caste that belongs to Tamil Nadu?" had 4 options mentioning different castes. Netizens slammed the college authorities for making a question paper at a university named after the Dravidian icon Periyar, who strived to abolish caste.
The Opposition also slammed the government over the caste row as the leader of the opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami asked on Twitter whether insulting the ideology of Periyar and facilitating caste inequality among students through questions like these in a semester examination is DMK’s Dravidian model and social justice.
A committee headed by a chief officer would be formed by the state department of higher education to conduct an investigation. According to a press release from the department, "due action will be initiated on behalf of the department against the wrongdoers." The University, on the other hand, announced that it will create an inquiry committee in the interim.
