Frisking that wasn’t so NEET
The National Entrance Eligibility Test (NEET) for medical aspirants has attracted one more controversy the frisking shame in Mar Thoma College in Kollam, Kerala, has left the country in shock and led to vandalism and protests. Five women staffers were arrested for making girls remove their innerwear. Their objection: Bras fasten with metal hooks, and NTA rules mandate that no metal items—rings, bangles, belts, brooches, watches, etc. are allowed inside test centres.
That women, who no doubt wear similar innerwear with hooks, were involved in disrobing young girls is even more riling. It amounts to gender discrimination, harassment and outraging their modesty, and is not seen even during airport security checks. In their zeal to implement rules, they disturbed the young girls, forcing them to write the exam in a state of trauma and discomfort, disrupting months of preparation. The girls were disadvantaged, and this will impact their scores.
The staffers have overstepped their brief and are not the first ones to do so. Similar incidents have been reported earlier during the NEET in Rajasthan and Kerala, and there have also been complaints of “torture” and “rudeness”. The NTA dress code is undoubtedly strict and has resulted in absurd situations where students have had to snip full-sleeved shirts, and boys have even written the test shirtless and barefoot. It imposes more strictures on girls than on boys—from barring jeans to embroidery to high heels. Nowhere does it mandate the removal of innerwear, so the implementation is faulty.
To check this, the government should allow practical clothes, and introduce high-tech security scanners that do not lead to strip searches. The personnel on duty should be understanding, and know a bra hook from a gadget. Strangely, such incidents do not occur during other competitive examinations. While it is heartening that the government has heeded the national outrage and registered FIRs against the errant staffers, it should also sensitise them to students. Teenagers writing such important exams are already tense, and no one has the right to play with their future.