 The book was prescribed for the second year Bachelor of Arts (English) in 2007–08 as an optional text, according to University sources.Later, Dr. Rajan Welukar, University of Mumbai's Vice-Chancellor (V-C) used the emergency powers in the Maharashtra Universities Act, 1994, to withdraw the book from the syllabus.His third book, and second novel, "A Fine Balance" (1995), won the second annual Giller Prize in 1995, and the "Los Angeles Times" Book Prize for Fiction in 1996.