Girl students asked to remove innerwear at a NEET exam centre; Kerala Higher Edu Minister writes to Union Edu Minister 

Female National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) aspirants were asked to remove their innerwear at an exam centre in Ayoor, Kerala. The incident took place on Sunday, July 17. Students and parents have expressed outrage over the issue. However, the institution where it took place has denied any role in the incident.

"We dropped her around 12 noon at the examination centre and later, we were asked to give a shawl by the exam officials. It was only after she came out after the examination did we realise what had happened. It seems there was a metal object in her innerwear and it was found during the screening. She and many other students were asked to remove such innerwear and only then were they allowed to take the exam. Even the college where the exam took place said they had no role, as these things were done by an agency that was entrusted with the conduct of the examination," the parent of a student said, according to an IANS report.

The angry parent added that what happened was unacceptable and that he had no other option but to file a complaint. "All those candidates who had to undergo such a humiliation were under tremendous duress and they were unable to perform well because of this insensitive behaviour of the centre officials," he said, as per IANS.

Students have staged protest marches against the institution where the incident took place. Meanwhile, KM Abhijith, President of the NSUI state wing, said that appropriate action should be taken against the wrong-doers. The institution has, on the other hand, blamed the agency that was entrusted with the conduction of the examination for the incident. The local police has started a probe after the complaint was registered.

Kerala's Minister of Higher Education took to Twitter to post, "It is reprehensible that girl students who appeared for the NEET-UG exam in Kollam were made to remove their innerwear before entering the exam hall. It is learnt that this was done by people from the agency conducting the examination."

The Minister called the act, "a huge error on the part of the agency, one that is sure to have impacted the mental bearing of the students while writing the exam." She also wrote to the Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan about the same.