A question in a Class 4 English test triggered protests in Chhattisgarh’s Mahasamund district. The exam asked students to identify 'Mona’s dog' with options including 'Ram'. The half-yearly exam was held on January 7, 2026. Right-wing group Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) protested outside the District Education Officer (DEO) office. VHP district head Harshwardhan Chandrakar demanded arrest and dismissal of those who created the question paper, calling such questions "inappropriate and deeply offensive to religious sentiments." On January 8, DEO Vijay Kumar Lahre expressed regret. He explained that a different question paper was printed by mistake instead of the correct one. "Owing to the confidentiality of examination papers, the issue came to light only after the paper was opened at the examination centre," Lahre said. The option with 'Ram' was immediately removed and replaced. The education department sought an explanation from the printing vendor and asked for the printed manuscript to investigate how the change happened. Lahre assured there was no intention to hurt religious feelings and promised to strengthen the exam process going forward.