Jadavpur University's English department head, Saswati Halder, has been asked to take a leave of absence until January 30th following an incident on December 22nd. Halder reportedly asked two students to remove their hijabs during an examination due to suspected cheating and frisked them for devices. A committee recommended Halder be stripped of duties during an inquiry. The university stated Halder applied for leave for personal reasons, though reports suggest she requested it under pressure after students demanded her removal until the probe concludes.