Nearly 100 female students were humiliated on Sunday when they were asked to take off their bras before taking the medical entrance exam – NEET 2022. They were asked to remove inner garments at the metal detection stage during the body search process before entering the exam center. According to the dress code, students are not allowed to wear metal objects or accessories when entering the examination room. This would be a measure against cheating. While the advice talks about straps, it doesn’t talk about undergarments like bras that can contain underwire. The incident took place at the exam center in Kollam.
Students complained that they had to undergo mental trauma right before attempting the high-stakes exam. Parents have filed a police report. According to the primary information, nearly 100 girls have faced this situation. A complaint has been made to the Deputy Superintendent of Police of Kottrakka.
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The undergarments were dumped together in boxes on Sunday after the investigation, the students said.
The center at Kerala’s Marthoma Institute of Information Technology, Ayur Chadayamngalam, has denied responsibility, alleging that searches and biometric checks were carried out by outside agencies.
Student is not allowed to wear hijab
Another female student claimed that she was not allowed to wear a hijab during the exam. Under the rules, students are allowed to wear religious dresses if they report to the exam center about two years before the exam. The student, although she had taken off her hjab (scarf), claimed to have been mistreated by the invigilator during the exam.
Dress code controversies for NEET 2022
This is not the first time female students have faced harassment in the NEET exam centers, similar cases have surfaced in recent years.
In 2017, a female student taking the medical entrance exam in Kannur was also asked to take off her inner clothes. At that time, CBSE administered the exam. The incident had sparked a debate about being too careful during exams, and then Education Minister C Raveendranath said the government would investigate the matter. Now the exam is administered by the National Testing Agency (NTA). The examination management body has not yet issued a statement about this.
According to the NEET dress code, students are not even allowed to wear long sleeves during the exam. Although slippers and sandals with low heels are allowed, shoes are not allowed in the exam room.
A total of 18,72,329 candidates had applied for the largest entrance examination in the province, of which 10.64 lakh were women, according to data shared by NTA. The exam was conducted at 3,570 centers in 497 cities, including 14 cities outside India.
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