Thiruvananthapuram: A question asked in the Kerala State Literacy Mission's Plus-II equivalency test has sparked a controversy in the State.

The question, whether the minorities are a threat to India's unity and integrity, was asked in the Sociology examination held last month. The examinees were asked to write an essay, not exceeding two pages, on the 'threat', and the question carried eight marks. The questions were prepared by the Higher Secondary Examination Board.

The question paper had another question asking to examine the initiatives India has made to address the issues of the minorities.

The Department of Higher Secondary Education said it had not noticed the questions, and that it would look into the issue.