New Delhi, Students at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) are raising concerns over the university’s decision to remove questions on Indo-Islamic history and other Islamic topics from the Class XI entrance examination syllabus.

According to Kashmir Media Service, the changes affected parts of the syllabus that included questions on the life of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), basic knowledge of the Qur’an, and general knowledge about Islamic history and beliefs. Abdullah Ameen, the president of the AMU chapter of the Students Islamic Organisation (SIO), highlighted these concerns during a press interaction.

The issue escalated when students, seeking to discuss their concerns directly with Vice-Chancellor Naima Khatoon, were initially barred from meeting her. After persistent efforts, a delegation of students, including Ameen, was allowed to present their case to the vice-chancellor, who promised to forward their proposals and suggestions to the academic council.

The students questioned the rationale behind removing specific Islamic content from the test syllabus, noting that the explanations provided by university officials were unsatisfactory. Furthermore, the students and local Muslim leaders in Aligarh are disturbed by the removal of a Qur’anic verse from the university’s logo, which has traditionally been a part of AMU’s emblem.

This verse, “Taught man that which he knew not,” has been omitted from the logo on official university letterheads and other materials, prompting a meeting between community leaders and the head of the Islamic Studies department to address these changes.