As over 22 lakh aspirants took part in the NEET UG re-exam on Sunday, a student from Rajasthan was allegedly barred from entering the examination center in Ajmer for wearing a burqa.
Speaking to reporters, the candidate claimed that she was prevented from entering the center because of the burqa she was wearing. According to ANI, the candidate added that she wore the same outfit in the first exam on May 3, during which she was not denied entry.
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As per NTA’s NEET-UG exam rules, candidates are allowed to wear religious paraphernalia, “subject to notification at the center in advance to enable inspection”.
The student said: “I was wearing the same outfit I am wearing now: a burqa and a scarf. First, they said I had to take off the shawl to enter; then they insisted that I had to take off the burqa as well. If the NTA allows us, these people can’t stop us… If I were to take the exam and they didn’t allow me to wear this outfit, I simply wouldn’t take it.”
The student’s father also told reporters that his daughter appeared in the May 3 exam wearing a burqa.
“My daughter took the exam on May 3, and she took it wearing a burqa. Rule 18 states that you are allowed to appear wearing your religious clothing… We asked them to call a staff member to conduct a thorough examination and remove the burqa in a private area behind a curtain, but they refused.”
Police, NTA respond
In response to the complaints submitted by the student and the father, the National Testing Agency explained that the student was allowed to enter the center and appear to retake the exam.
Moreover, Ajmer North Shivam Joshi Corporation said that the dispute occurred due to “lack of clarity regarding certain rules”, adding that the matter was settled after clarification from senior officials.
“Apart from this, there are no disputes at the examination center and all the students have been admitted peacefully,” he told ANI.
NEET UG re-exam today
NTA conducts re-examination for National Eligibility Admission Test all over India. This retest comes after the May 3 exam, which was canceled due to a paper leak.
Ahead of this re-test, security and monitoring measures have been enhanced to ensure a smooth process for candidates.
Read also | 5454 centers and 22 lakh aspirants: How NTA prepared for NEET UG retest today
The exam started at 2 pm and ends at 5:51 pm. After the exam, NTA will release the NEET UG results.
