Outrageous, says NCW as aspirants appearing for NEET told to remove bras at exam hall
Outrageous, says NCW as aspirants appearing for NEET told to remove bras at exam hall
New Delhi: The National Commission for Women and the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights have sought action against the NEET frisking personnel for asking female medical aspirants to remove their undergarments before entering an examination centre in Ayur town in Kollam district of Kerala on Sunday.
The National Commission for Women (NCW) said that it has taken serious note of the reported incident which is "shameful and outrageous to the modesty of young girls".
NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma has written to the chairperson of the National Testing Agency (NTA) to conduct an independent inquiry into the allegations levelled by the girl students and to take appropriate action against those responsible.
"The Commission has also sought a time-bound investigation in the matter," a statement by NCW said.
The Commission has also written to the Director General of Police (DGI), Kerala to conduct a fair investigation in the matter and register FIR under the relevant provisions of law, if the allegations made by the medical aspirants in Kollam are found to be true.
"The action taken must be apprised to the commission within three days," NCW said.
The National Commission for protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) on has also issued a notice to Kollam District Collector and has sought for the report. "Appropriate action will be taken against the officials once the report is submitted," NCPCR chairperson Priyank Kanoongo said.
NCPCR also sought for an inquiry into the matter as to how many children underwent a similar treatment on 17 July during the checking/frisking of medical aspirants appearing in the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) examination.
"You are further requested to furnish statements of the affected children and inform the Commission about the staff involved and action taken against them," the NCPCR said in a letter.
The incident came to the limelight after father of a 17-year-old medical aspirant told media that his daughter, who was sitting for her first-ever NEET exam, was asked to sit for over 3-hour-long exam removing her bra.
Must Read: No bras allowed? Why NEET aspirants were asked to remove innerwear in Kerala
He said minutes after dropping his daughter at the examination centre, he received a call from the institute, asking him to come to the gate of the centre.
The man further said that when he and his wife arrived at the gate, they saw their daughter crying. "She said that she and other girls were being asked to remove part of their inner wear and asked for a shawl to wear during the test," the father added.
The father further alleged that after the exam was over, his daughter returned still looking distressed and broke into tears in his wife’s arms. "On the way home she told us what had transpired during the test. It was startling," he added.
The girl also told her parents that one of the invigilators at the centre told her to either remove her bra or not write the exam.
A complaint was lodged by the girl's father with Kottarakkara Deputy Superintendent of Police’s office. On the basis of the complaint, a case has been registered under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 509 (Word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) have been invoked, police said.
With inputs from agencies
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