E-Paper
Left us shaken: Students allege strip-searches during exams at IISER
The allegations surfaced through a letter circulated by the institute’s general secretary of the student council on May 6, which described incidents involving frisking, pat-downs and, in one case, an alleged strip-search.
Pune: The Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune (IISER Pune) administration is under intense scrutiny after multiple first-year students alleged that invasive and non-consensual body searches were conducted during end-semester examinations on April 24.
The allegations surfaced through a letter circulated by the institute’s general secretary of the student council on May 6, which described incidents involving frisking, pat-downs and, in one case, an alleged strip-search.
According to the letter, the most serious allegation involves a female first-year student who was reportedly called out of an examination hall on suspicion of cheating. She was allegedly instructed to remove her jacket after notes were found written on her hand. She was then allegedly taken to a room without surveillance cameras, where a female housekeeping staff member conducted a “forced strip-search” despite her repeated verbal objections.
The letter claims the student was compelled to expose intimate parts of her body during the search. It further alleges that when the student questioned the necessity of the procedure, she was told the actions were part of “checking guidelines”.
The letter also includes testimonies from other students. One male student alleged that housekeeping staff took him to a room, asked him to remove his shirt, and physically searched him. The student reportedly described the experience as “intimidating” and said it left him shaken during the remainder of the examination.
Another female student alleged that she was stopped in a washroom by housekeeping staff, had her pockets searched, and was asked to lift her shirt before being allowed to leave.
The incidents triggered widespread concern among students regarding examination protocols, student safety, and accountability within the institute’s administration.
Responding to the controversy, the IISER Pune said in a statement on May 7: “The IISER Pune administration is aware of student complaints regarding an incident of malpractice during the recent end-semester exams. A committee will investigate the incident fairly and follow all existing protocols of investigation.”
