Vice-Chancellor Dipak Kar stated the controversy stemmed from a translation error in the Bengali version of the question. The original English manuscript used “militant nationalist”, but this was mistranslated, and quotation marks were omitted in Bengali, intensifying the mischaracterisation. Following the incident, the two officials responsible were relieved of their duties.
The wording sparked immediate protests from students, academics and local historians, who insisted that such terminology unjustly taints the legacy of freedom fighters from undivided Midnapore—a region synonymous with armed resistance to British rule during the early 20th century. One prominent historian described the error as “deeply offensive” and reflective of outdated colonial narratives.
Among those invoked in the question were District Magistrates James Peddy, Robert Douglas and Bernard Burge, all of whom were assassinated by Bengal Volunteers activists. In April 1931, Bimal Dasgupta, later joined by Pradyot Bhattacharya, took part in incidents that led to the killing of Peddy and Douglas. Bernard Burge was killed during a football match in September 1933 by Anath Bondhu Panja and Mrigendra Dutta, both of whom died either on the spot or in the aftermath.
In the wake of criticism, the university’s registry launched an inquiry. Registrar J. K. Nandi confirmed preliminary findings pointed to a printing and proofreading oversight. He has pledged stricter moderation procedures to forestall any recurrence.
Political dimensions surfaced as well. The Bharatiya Janata Party in West Bengal wrote to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the state’s education minister, urging action and accusing the administration of distorting historical memory. The state opposition insisted the mislabelling was a politically motivated revision of history, aimed at undermining nationalist sentiment.
Amid mounting pressure, Vice-Chancellor Kar issued a deeply contrite apology. He admitted feeling "ashamed and deeply hurt" over the mistake, and stressed that the slip was unintended. He also announced the suspension of both the paper moderator and the chairperson of the Board of Studies for History.
Student unions and activist groups staged campus protests, demanding a full public rectification and a revised syllabus that honours the revolutionary heritage of Midnapore. A representative of a local freedom fighters’ association described the misnomer as a "shameful attempt to portray valiant revolutionaries as mere criminals".
Academic circles have responded by urging a broader reassessment of how Indian revolutionary history is presented in educational materials. They highlighted similar distortions surrounding figures such as Khudiram Bose, Surya Sen and Bhagat Singh in some curricula. Scholars argued that accurate terminology matters deeply in shaping students’ historical consciousness.
This episode has reignited debate over the framing of anti‑colonial actions and raised questions about editorial oversight in academic testing. Vidyasagar University has promised a full review of translation protocols and moderation standards. Meanwhile, the inquiry committee is expected to submit its final report within 24 hours.