‘Ram’ Listed As Dog’s Name In Chhattisgarh Class 4 Exam Paper, Teacher Suspended

Last Updated:January 12, 2026, 15:07 IST

Hindu organisations objected to the inclusion of “Ram” as a pet’s name, saying it hurt religious sentiments.

Class 4 Exam Question Sparks Statewide Row in Chhattisgarh Over ‘Ram’ Option For Dog

A simple multiple-choice question in a Class 4 English exam has triggered a statewide controversy in Chhattisgarh, drawing in education officials, teachers and district administrators. The dispute arose after a question paper used in several government schools included the word “Ram" as one of the answer options, leading to strong objections and an official inquiry.

What we know about the matter?

After the exam was held on January 6 last year, images of the paper surfaced online and quickly went viral. Hindu organisations objected to the inclusion of “Ram" as a pet’s name, saying it hurt religious sentiments.

The question paper was distributed in schools across Balodabazar, Bhatapara, Mahasamund, Dhamtari and Gariaband districts. As criticism grew, the education department ordered an inquiry to trace how the controversial option appeared in the final paper.

The inquiry found that the question paper was prepared under the Samagra Shiksha scheme. The task had been assigned to Sampada Bose, Assistant Project Coordinator, who arranged for the paper to be drafted by an expert committee of five teachers.

After the issue came to light, Bose said that none of the papers from the PDF she had shared were meant to be printed at that stage. This raised questions about how the final version reached printing and distribution.

A five-member inquiry committee formed by the Raipur District Education Officer examined records related to preparation, moderation and printing. The report confirmed that the controversial option was present in the paper that was finally distributed to students.

The investigation identified Shikha Soni, head teacher at Government Primary School, Nakti (Khapri), Tilda, as the paper-setter. Namrata Verma, a contractual assistant teacher at SEGES Higher Secondary School, Fafadih, Raipur, was named as the moderator. Both teachers submitted written explanations and apologies.

Action on authorities

Following a preliminary probe, the education department suspended the headmistress who prepared the paper. Action has also been initiated against the moderator teacher, who may face dismissal, officials said.

In her explanation, Shikha Soni said she had intended to type “RAMU" but the letter “U" was missed during typing, resulting in “RAM" being printed. She described it as an unintentional mistake. Namrata Verma said she retained the options as received and failed to notice the error during moderation.

The controversy widened into an administrative dispute. Mahasamund DEO Vijay Lahre said the issue was noticed during the half-yearly exam in his district and the option was removed immediately, with alternative papers given. He claimed the printed paper came from a different set due to a printer error.

Despite this, the Directorate of Public Instruction, Raipur, has issued a show-cause notice to Lahre, seeking an explanation for the lapse.

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