BENGALURU: Despite training authorities on guidelines over frisking students during the Common Entrance Test (CET) exams 2026, three students were forced to remove janivara (sacred thread) by the authorities of Krupanidhi PU College in Koramangala.
The college has suspended three staffers in connection with the incident.
A complaint was registered by the parents of the students at the Madiwala Police Station on April 24.
Anand S Theertha, Nakul H, and Anirudh R Rao were forced to remove 'janivara', despite refusing to do so.
Anirudh's father, Raghu Bhima Rao, in his complaint to the police, said, "My son was forced to remove the thread. This action is unacceptable and not in support of the guidelines issued by KEA. It violates personal choice, religious freedom and has caused significant emotional distress to my son. Either K-CET or the college authorities must be held responsible for the same."
He also urged the authorities to bar the college from conducting exams in the future.
Harish, parent of Nakul H, told TNIE, "It is not good conduct by the college authorities. This incident happened on the first day of the CET exam on Thursday (April 23). First, my son was asked to remove an earring, then a thread tied on his hand. He agreed to remove these two items. Later, he was called back and was forced to remove Janivara. He dialled up his mother, and she rushed to the college. Though the thread wasn't cut, he removed it and handed it over to my wife," he added.
"Though there was no delay in entering the exam hall on Thursday, my son got panicked, and he wasn't able to attempt all the questions in the exam. He focused on preparing for the CET exams rather than the board exams. However, we don't know how he has performed. For now, we have filed a police complaint, but we don't have any clue what to do next."
Nakul is currently studying PCMC at Oxford PU College in Bengaluru.
Meanwhile, Sudheendra, the parent of Anand, said, "When my son was asked to remove the thread, he reached out to me via phone and asked if he could remove it. I told him he shouldn't be doing so. But by then, he had removed it. After the first paper, I entered the college campus and went to the principal's office. All three parents were asked to wait for 45 minutes, and the blame was shifted to the peons later.
"The principal told us that they had trained the staff not to ask students to remove mangalsutra, janivara or any other items worn for religious reasons," he added.
"My son is a bright student, and he has scored 96% in Exam-1 in Second PU exams. He is a student of BRIKS Academy," he said.
Responding to the issue, the Principal of Krupanidhi PU College has issued suspension letters to the staff members, Sudhakar D, Saritha R and Girijamma, allegedly involved in forcing students to remove janivara.
They have been kept under suspension until the inquiry is completed and have been asked to report as and when called for inquiry proceedings.
Dr M. C. Sudhakar, Minister for Higher Education, said, "Strict action must be taken against the staff of the college if this incident has taken place. All the staff of the colleges where the exams were conducted on April 23 and 24 were trained by the Karnataka Examination Authority directly, and guidelines were issued in advance about the dos and don'ts. Despite it, such incidents are repeating; it is sad. We don't know if they do it purposely or if someone is in support of such acts."
KEA officials in a letter stated, "It has been learned through the media that a few candidates who had come to appear for the Physics subject examination on April 23 at the said centre were instructed by the staff to remove their Janivara and then allowed to appear for the examination."
"This is a sensitive issue, and the KEA has explained the dress code very clearly. Referring to a similar incident that took place last year, it has been clearly stated in the training that religious items such as Janivara, Linga, etc. should not be removed," the letter read.
"An inquiry has been conducted by senior officials on the said matter and legal action has been taken immediately as per rules and a full report has been requested to be submitted," it further added.