04-05-2025
NEET candidate asked to remove sacred thread in Kalaburagi
Kalaburagi: A candidate appearing for NEET, which is an entrance test for medical education, was allegedly asked to remove his sacred thread at a centre in Kalaburagi Sunday.
This closely follows similar incidents during the recently conducted K-CET in April when candidates were asked to remove janivara, triggering protests from the Brahmin community and a probe from the state govt.
On Sunday, the student, Sripad Patil, who travelled from Basavakalyan to Kalaburagi to write NEET, was stopped near the exam hall, directed to remove his sacred thread before taking up the exam. Sources said the student complied with the direction.
After learning about the incident, members of Brahmin community gathered at Anand Hotel Circle here to protest "insensitive implementation of examination rules".
Community leaders contended that such incidents were becoming more frequent and emphasised religious symbols and sacred threads hold deep spiritual significance for their community.
The protesters demanded clear guidelines regarding religious symbols during examinations. They called for a balanced approach that would respect both examination integrity and religious sentiments. Several organisations submitted a memorandum to the district authorities, seeking intervention in such matters.
Education officials said they would review the existing guidelines, acknowledging that maintaining examination discipline should not come at the cost of hurting religious sentiments.
