KOCHI: The State Minority Commission at its sitting here on Monday sought a report from the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on its controversial dress code of banning burqas, full sleeves during the All-India Pre-Medical Entrance Test (AIPMT). The decision to seek the report came after several complaints were lodged with the commission against the ban during the entrance exam which was held on July 25.
Though the Kerala High Court ordered CBSE to allow two Muslim girls - Asiya Abdul Karim of Ashokapuram in Kozhikode and Nadha Rahim of Olavakkode in Palakkad - to wear headscarves and full-sleeve dresses while appearing for the national medical entrance, the banning of a Catholic nun, Remya George alias Sister Seba, from the AIPMT after she came for the exam with her head scarf had triggered a big controversy.
“The norms issued by the CBSE for the AIPMT was discriminatory as they had given permission for the Sikh to wear headgears. Whereas the board prohibited other minorities such as Muslim and Christian to wear their religious symbols,” State Minority Commission Chairman M Veerankutty told ‘Express’, after the sitting held at Civil station, Kakkanad.
The CBSE had issued the controversial advisory for the re-conducted AIPMT after the Supreme Court quashed the earlier test when cases of large-scale malpractices - some students hid mobile phones and SIM cards in specially designed undergarments - were reported from different centres in Haryana and Rajasthan. As per the advisory, wearing of headscarves, full-sleeve shirts and burqa have been banned.
“We have conducted discussions with the religious scholars and they too were against the dress code issued by the CBSE for the AIPMT. Minority communities have their own rights but making half-sleeves compulsory and not letting to wear the head scarves during the exam will affect the religious sentiments of both Muslims and Christians,” Commission said.