Fresh controversy erupted in Karnataka around the Railway Department’s Nursing Superintendent entrance exam after admit cards instructed candidates to remove religious symbols, including mangalsutras and sacred threads (janivara), before entering the examination centre.
The computer-based (CBT) examination, set to be held from April 28 to 30, bars candidates from wearing ornaments such as earrings, nose pins, bracelets, rings, and religious threads. Strict guidelines also prohibit electronic devices, watches, belts, wallets, and handbags, citing security and anti-cheating measures.
The directive, however, has triggered a backlash from Hindu organisations, who argue that prohibiting sacred items undermines religious freedom. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) condemned the instruction, demanding its immediate withdrawal, as per a report by The Indian Express.
In a statement, the VHP said, "This decision deeply hurts the sentiments of crores of Hindus. It is unacceptable in a nation where Hindus form the majority."
The exam in question is being conducted at Manail Srinivas Nayak Besant Vidya Kendra in Bondel, Mangaluru.
Social media reactions quickly followed. Activist Sharan Kumar Pumpwell shared images of the admit card on Facebook, criticising the move as "anti-religious" and appealing to officials, including the District Collector and local Member of Parliament Captain Brijesh Chowta, to intervene.
This is not the first such controversy this month.
Earlier, during Karnataka’s Common Entrance Test (CET), reports emerged of Hindu students being asked to remove sacred threads before entering exam halls, adding fuel to ongoing concerns about the treatment of religious identity during competitive examinations.
Despite the outcry, exam authorities maintain that the guidelines are standard security protocol.
The admit card clearly states that biometric Aadhaar-linked verification, frisking, and strict document checks will be conducted. Any candidate refusing to comply risks disqualification.
Officials argue that religious items, like the janivara or mangalsutra, while symbolic, could be exploited to conceal devices or identity markers, hence the need for blanket prohibitions.
However, Hindu groups insist that these symbols are non-removable expressions of faith.
“Expecting candidates to remove them, even temporarily, is a violation of basic religious rights," said a spokesperson for the VHP.
