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Student alleges he was forced to remove 'Janeu’ at Bengaluru exam centre: ‘I could not write the CET exam properly’
The student alleged that he was told he would not be allowed to take the exam if he refused to remove his 'Janeu'.
A student who appeared for the CET examination at the Krupanidhi College centre in Madivala, Bengaluru, alleged that he and a few other students were forced to remove their 'Janeu’. He claimed that the authorities at the exam centre told the aspirants that they would not be allowed to appear for the examination if they refused to remove the sacred threads.
“I went to the center around 9.40 am. I kept the bag in the room and they didn't allow me because they saw my 'Janeu'. They started telling that you have to remove it. If you don't remove, we can't allow you to write the exam... Around seven students were also asked to remove their Janeu. We had no option so we removed it...I felt very sad. I could not write the CET exam properly...This happened yesterday..." a student alleged in a conversation with ANI.
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The Minister of Higher Education of Karnataka, MC Sudhakar, reacted to the incident. He told ANI, “During the CET exam, a few boys were asked to remove their sacred thread. Officials called this deeply troubling, noting similar incidents last year that had already drawn statewide attention and strict instructions. Despite clear guidelines and special officers deployed to oversee dress codes, the issue has repeated, raising doubts about whether it was intentional. The government described the act as a violation of human rights and privacy, stressing that no student should be forced to choose between faith and education. A complaint has been directed to be filed against the exam centre management, and the Deputy Commissioner has been asked to take action. Authorities are also examining legal provisions to ensure stricter enforcement so that such incidents do not repeat in future examinations.”
He referred to an incident last year where a NEET candidate in Karnataka’s Kalaburagi was asked to remove his sacred thread before entering the examination hall. The incident had taken place at the St. Mary’s School examination centre.
