Kollam (Kerala): Several female students who sat in the NEET exam at a certain centre in Kerala on Sunday had a horrible experience after they were forced to remove their underwear before being allowed to sit in the examination hall.
Kottarakara police initiated a probe into the incident after one of the students filed a complaint on Monday. The incident took place at Mar Thoma College Of Science and Technology, Ayur, on July 17 after metallic hooks were detected in the innerwear of some girls during the screening. As per the complaint, many girl students were asked to remove their innerwear if they wanted to attempt the exam, causing severe emotional distress.
ETV Bharat spoke to one such student who narrated the near inhuman behaviour she faced, rattling her to the core that too moments before one of the most important exams of her academic life. ETV Bharat is reproducing her account verbatim.
When we reached the examination centre, there were two lines for girls. I was asked whether I was wearing innerwear with metal hooks or not. When I replied that I was wearing one with metal hooks, I was asked to wait in one of the queues. I could not understand what was happening. I thought that they would just scan us before allowing us to enter the examination hall.
But when I reached the room, the female staff there asked me to remove the innerwear and put it in a box along with the innerwear of others. They asked us to remove the innerwear having metal hooks and they deposited them all together in a cardboard box. In the examination hall, both boys and girls were put together. Since we were forced to remove our bras, we had to cover our chest with our hair so that we were not stared at. It was so embarrassing.
The girls who were made to remove the innerwear had an obvious unease on their faces. I was not able to concentrate even a bit on the questions asked.Those writing the exams are between the age groups of 17 to 23. Imagine how uncomfortable it would be for them to concentrate during the exam when surrounded by male students as well
Also read: Kerala: Female NEET students forced to remove underwear before exam, says girl in police complaint
Somehow we finished the examination and then returned to the inspection room to get our innerwear. Shockingly, the staff there told us not to wear them but to take them along. We were shocked and ashamed. One girl cried. Then one woman and a man asked her why she was crying. They said it was all part of the examination. Despite the direction from them, we wore our innerwear in that dark hall before leaving for home. There was no space or light. All were changing their innerwear in that small hall, cramping together.
