Fact-Check: Were Girl Students Asked To ‘Remove Bra’ At Kerala NEET Centre?

New Delhi: The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Tuesday denied receiving any complaints on women candidates being allegedly asked to “remove their innerwear” during frisking at a NEET exam centre in Kerala’s Kollam district. The NTA conducts the NEET.

The denial came a day after media reports that several women candidates were allegedly asked to remove their innerwear before being allowed to take the test on Sunday at the exam centre at Mar Thoma Institute of Information Technology in Ayur, about 60 km from Thiruvananthapuram.

The father of a 17-year-old girl, who was allegedly subjected to the humiliation, has lodged a police complaint.

The father has alleged in his complaint that his daughter was asked to remove her bra after the metal hooks beeped during security check. He alleged that many women candidates were asked to remove their innerwear.

The NTA, however, said in a statement on Tuesday that no such incident was reported from the exam centre.

“On the issue of a media report that a candidate appearing for NEET(UG) at the Mar Thoma Institute of Information Technology, Ayur, Kollam, on 17 July was asked to remove her innerwear, it is informed that — on the receipt of the report, immediate comments of the Centre Superintendent and the Independent Observer as well as the City Coordinator, Kollam district, were obtained. All three of them have, inter alia, stated that they did not find any such incident happening in the centre. The candidate did take the examination,” it said.

“There was no representation/ complaint to any one during or immediately after the examination. Nor has the NTA received any email/ complaint in this regard,” the statement added.

“As far as the NTA’s Dress Code for NEET is concerned, it does not permit any such activity alleged by the parent of the candidate,” it said.

Kerala’s Higher Education Minister R Bindu has written to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan seeking strong action against those responsible.