NEET Candidates Forced To Remove Innerwear Before Exam In Kerala

NTA has dismissed the allegation that a Kerala candidate was asked to remove her innerwear...

On Monday, The National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), dismissed the allegation that a candidate in Kerala was asked to remove her innerwear before giving the exam. The candidate’s father claimed that most of the students who appeared for the NEET were subjected to mental torture.

The centre superintendent, the independent observer, and the city coordinator, Kollam, denied that any such incident occurred at the centre and that the candidate was allowed to sit for the examination.

In a statement, the NTA said, “There was no complaint to anyone during or immediately after the examination. NTA has not received any email/ complaint in this regard either.”

The NTA said that on the receipt of media reports on the alleged incident, immediate comments of the centre superintendent and the independent observer as well as the city coordinator were obtained. All three of them have inter alia stated that they did not find any such incident happening in the centre.

“As far as NTA’s dress code for NEET is concerned, it does not permit any such activity as alleged by the parent of the candidate. The code provides for ensuring the sanctity and fairness of conducting the examination while observing sensitivity towards the sensitivities involved in facilitating frisking and biometric entry of candidates,” it said.

Meanwhile, Lok Sabha MP from Kerala NK Premachandran has demanded a review of the exam guidelines. “We have the technology to detect malpractices. We should use them instead of resorting to such inhuman and barbaric practices. Violations of human rights can never be justified. I demand a high-level probe,” he said. Premachandran has also moved an adjournment motion in the House to hold a discussion on the matter.

A man in Kerala's Kollam district claimed that his daughter was asked to remove her innerwear before entering the NEET examination centre.

Following outrage over the alleged incident, the Human Rights Commission directed Kollam rural SP to investigate the matter and asked to submit a report within 15 days.

The man filed a complaint with the Kottarakara police. The complainant said the students were "mentally tortured" and the dress code by the National Testing Agency (NTA) does not suggest anything like this.