As over 22 lakh aspirants appeared to take the NEET UG re-exam on Sunday, a student from Rajasthan was allegedly stopped from entering the exam centre in Ajmer for wearing a burqa.
Speaking to reporters, the candidate alleged she was denied entry into the centre due to her burqa. As per ANI, the candidate added that she wore the same attire to the first exam on May 3, where she was not denied entry.
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“I was in the same attire then as I am now: wearing a burqa and a dupatta. Initially, they said I would have to remove the dupatta to enter; then they insisted I had to remove the burqa as well. If the NTA has permitted us, these people cannot stop us… If I am to take the exam and they don’t allow me in this attire, then I simply won’t take it,” said the student.
The student’s father also told reporters that his daughter appeared for the May 3 exam in her burqa.
“My daughter took the exam on May 3rd, and she took it while wearing the burqa. Rule 18 states that you are permitted to attend while wearing your religious attire… We told them to call a female staff member to conduct a thorough check and have the burqa removed in a private area behind a screen, but they refused,” he told ANI.
Police, NTA respond
In response to the complaints raised by the student and father, the National Testing Agency stated that the student was allowed to enter the centre and appear for the re-examination.
Furthermore, Ajmer CO North Shivam Joshi said that the dispute occurred due to a “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 centre, and all students have been admitted peacefully,” he further told ANI.
NEET UG re-exam today
The NTA is conducting the re-examination for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test across India. This re-test follows the May 3 exam, which was cancelled due to a paper leak.
Ahead of this re-test, security and surveillance were increased to ensure a smooth process for the candidates.
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The exam began at 2pm and will end at 5:51pm. Following the exam, the NTA will work towards releasing the NEET UG results.
