Centre should modify exam dress code to protect religious freedom: Karnataka minister
Bengaluru: Muzrai minister Ramalinga Reddy has asked higher education minister MC Sudhakar to write to the Centre to modify the dress code various central agencies have fixed for
competitive exams
, allowing protection of
religious freedom
.
Following recent incidents where students were not allowed to wear janivara (sacred thread) for Common Entrance Test, Reddy said BJP is trying to project the state govt as anti-Hindu.
"Removing janivara, mangalsutra or hijab is an act that violates a person's religious belief, which cannot be tolerated. The dress code rules made by examination authorities of the central govt are applicable all over India. Dress code in competitive exams is good for maintaining sanctity in NEET and CET, but there needs to be some modification in central govt exam guidelines to allow religious freedom to be preserved/protected," he wrote in his letter to Sudhakar.
Citing Supreme Court's observation that "maintaining purity in examination is paramount, but freedom of religion should not be neglected", Reddy asked Sudhakar to get his department write to the Centre to make necessary changes in the dress code policy of examination guidelines.
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