BENGALURU: Following the incident where students appearing for the Common Entrance Test (CET) in Bidar and Shivamogga were asked to remove their sacred thread (janivara), the Executive Director of the Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA), H Prasanna, sent letters to the Deputy Commissioners of both the districts, instructing them to submit comprehensive reports on the matter.
“The KEA has taken serious note of two separate incidents, where students were either denied the opportunity to write the CET due to wearing a sacred thread or were allowed to sit for the exam after removing it. The KEA has issued a stern warning and stringent action will be taken against those responsible for these incidents,” Prasanna said.
He stressed that the dress code guidelines do not mandate the removal of the janivara anywhere. Therefore, such actions at the examination centres in these two districts are condemnable. A thorough investigation will be carried out, he maintained.
“In the Bidar incident, a student was not allowed to sit for the mathematics exam because of the janivara. As a result, the student will not be eligible for an engineering rank as per the regulations. However, penalising the student for this issue would not be appropriate. We will consult with the Higher Education Minister to ensure that the student is not unfairly disadvantaged and take appropriate steps,” the KEA official said.
Prasanna also pointed out that the responsibility for conducting the CET at the district level lies with the respective deputy commissioners and district police heads. “They are trained in advance on managing such situations, and given written instructions. It is unfortunate that such an incident occurred,” he noted.