5 Women Arrested For Forcing Female Students To Remove Bras During NEET Exams

As a woman, I have faced my fair share of difficulties and casual sexism. And yet, every time I feel like nothing can surprise me anymore, some new news comes up of a woman being treated improperly or made to feel uncomfortable which makes me feel uneasy, to say the least. The most recent news of this was when female students were forced to remove their bras while giving the NEET exams. Now 5 women have been arrested since there was a complaint filed for the same. 

The police opened an investigation after receiving three reports that female students were humiliated when metal hooks on their bras beeped during security checks. A complaint was made against personnel who conducted security checks and allegedly requested the girls to remove their bras at the ar Thoma Institute of Information Technology in Ayur.

On Monday, a 17-year-father old’s filed a police report alleging that his daughter was forced to complete the 3-hour exam with no bra at the Mar Thoma Institute of Information Technology. The security staff asked the students if their future is more important to them or their innerwear. According to his allegation, 90% of female pupils had a similar experience.

Five women on NEET exam duty at the Kerala educational institute were arrested on Tuesday in Kollam for allegedly forcing girl students to remove their innerwear before taking the test on Sunday, according to police. According to authorities, they were nabbed after an hours-long interrogation by officers investigating the crime. While three ladies work for an NTA-hired agency, two work for the private Mar Thoma Institute of Information Technology.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has also established a fact-finding commission to investigate the purported occurrence. The National Testing Agency, which refuted the allegations, constituted a special investigation team hours after a state minister requested the Centre to act. NTA, an autonomous testing organisation that administers the medical entrance exam, stated that the NEET dress code does not authorise any such action.

The Ministry of Education stated that this incident was brought to their attention through various media reports. They added that the NTA issued an explanation of the same. The NTA dismissed the girl’s assertions saying that they have not received any complaints in this regard. In reaction to media reports, the NTA stated that it had requested comments from the Centre Superintendent, the Independent Observer, and the City Coordinator for the Kollam region.

R Bindu, Kerala’s minister of higher education, wrote to the union education minister on Monday, pleading for action to be taken against the friskers. Bindu condemned the occurrence, calling it an irresponsible act and a violation of human rights on the part of NTA, sources say. 

First Published: July 20, 2022 11:37 AM