NEET frisking: Stir in Kerala turns violent, agency denies claims
The protest against NEET frisking personnel asking girl students to remove their innerwear turned violent in southern Kerala on Tuesday while the National Testing Agency (NTA) asserted that the allegation made by her in a complaint to police is fictitious.
While the Kerala government took up the issue with the Centre seeking strong action against the agency which allegedly forced students to do it, Kerala Women’s Commission registered a case based on complaints it received. The state police has already registered a case.
The agency hired by NTA, in Kerala’s southern Kollam District, for purposes including carrying out frisking, allegedly asked the girl students to remove their innerwear.
A 17-year old girl has lodged a formal complaint with police and several other girl students have made similar allegations, though they have not separately filed complaints.
A senior NTA official said: “No complaint or representation has been received by us. On basis of claims in media reports, an immediate report was sought from the centre superintendent and observer.
A student lodged a complaint alleging that she was asked to remove innerwear.
They have informed that no such incident took place and the complaint is fictitious and has been filed with wrong intentions.”
The NEET dress code does not permit any such activity as alleged by the parent of the candidate.
The code provides for ensuring sanctity and fairness of exam while observing sensitivity towards gender, culture and religion during frisking of candidates, the NTA official added.
Kerala Higher Education Minister R Bindu, in a letter to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, expressed “dismay and shock” at the news of “naked assault on the dignity and honour of the girl students.”
Bindu sought action to prevent future occurrences of a similar nature and sought the Union Minister’s intervention in the matter.