Kerala NEET frisking row: Girl students asked to remove innerwear, NCW orders NTA to conduct probe

The National Commission for Women has asked the NTA and the Kerala police to conduct a time-bound and independent probe into the allegations of inappropriate frisking of some girl students.

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NEW DELHI: The National Commission for Women (NCW) on Tuesday took cognizance of the NEET frisking controversy in which some girls appearing for the NEET 2022 exam were asked to remove their innerwear during screening before the exam. The NCW has directed the Chairperson of the NTA to conduct an independent inquiry into allegations levelled by some girl students regarding their inappropriate frisking and take appropriate action in accordance with the law against those responsible.

NCW has taken serious note of the reported incident where several girl students were forced to remove their innerwear during screening before NEET 2022 exam in Kerala. It is shameful and outrageous to the modesty of young girls. pic.twitter.com/267LzE9l4r — ANI (@ANI) July 19, 2022

The Commission has also sought a time-bound investigation into the matter. “The NCW has taken serious note of the reported incident where several girl students were forced to remove their innerwear during screening before the NEET 2022 exam in Kerala. It is shameful and outrageous to the modesty of young girls,” the Commission said. 

The NCW also issued a statement which said that it had come across several media articles regarding the frisking incident at the NEET 2022 medical entrance exam at a centre in the Kollam district of Kerala, where several girls were allegedly forced to remove their innerwear in the screening.  

The statement added, "Chairperson Ms Rekha Sharma has written to Chairperson, National Testing Agency to conduct an independent inquiry into the allegations levelled by the girl students and take appropriate action in accordance with law against the responsible." 

The Commission has also written to the Director General of Police, Kerala to conduct a fair investigation in the matter and to register an FIR under the relevant provisions of law if the allegations are found to be true.

Chairperson NCW has written to Chairperson NTA to conduct an independent inquiry into allegations levelled by the girl students and to take appropriate action in accordance with law against the responsible. The Commission has also sought a time-bound investigation in the matter. — ANI (@ANI) July 19, 2022

Kerala Police registers case against friskers

Meanwhile, the Kerala Police today registered a case in relation to the alleged frisking incident that took place at a NEET 2022 exam centre in Kollam, Kerala. Police said a case has been registered under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 509 (Word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) on the basis of a complaint of a girl who allegedly faced the humiliating experience while appearing for the NEET exam held at a private educational institute at Ayur in the district on Sunday.

Protests against NEET friskers turn violent 

The protest against NEET frisking personnel asking girl students to remove their innerwear turned violent in southern Kerala while the National Testing Agency (NTA) asserted that the allegation made by a girl student in her complaint to the police is fictitious. 

While the Kerala government took up the issue, the Centre is seeking strong action against the agency which allegedly forced students to do it. 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. 

The issue came to light on Monday when the father of a 17-year-old girl told the media that his daughter, who was sitting for her first-ever NEET exam, was yet to come out of the traumatic experience wherein she had to sit for the over 3-hour-long exam without a brassiere. The father had told a TV channel that his daughter was dressed as per the dress code mentioned in the NEET bulletin which did not say anything about innerwear.

The parents of the girl later lodged a formal complaint with the 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. They have informed that no such incident took place and the complaint is fictitious and has been filed with wrong intentions."

What is the NEET dress code?

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 the "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. 

Protests that began on July 18 intensified on Tuesday and a section of agitators, who took out protest marches, vandalised a private education institution at Ayur in Kollam District, where the girl was allegedly asked to remove her innerwear before writing the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test. Student activists allegedly entered the college premises breaking the police cordon, leading to vandalism. Some student activists even suffered injuries in police action.