The principal and a staff member of Sai Spoorthi PU College in Bidar have been suspended after a student alleged he was barred from appearing for the Common Entrance Test (CET) unless he removed his Janeu, a sacred thread worn by some Hindu communities. The incident, which took place on April 17, has triggered sharp reactions from the student’s family and political leaders, with calls for a re-examination and questions raised over the conduct of exam personnel at CET centres across Karnataka.
Suchivrat Kulkarni, a CET aspirant from Bidar, said he was denied entry into the exam hall after he refused to remove his Janeu. "I had my Mathematics CET paper on April 17. At the centre, they asked me to cut or remove the Janeu. I pleaded for 45 minutes, but they didn’t allow me inside. I had to return home without writing the exam," he said, demanding a re-exam or a seat in a government college.
His mother, Neeta Kulkarni, said, "My son explained that it was a sacred thread and cutting it was unacceptable. But they didn’t budge. I urge the government to either reconduct the exam for him or ensure his admission to a good college with full fee support."
Principal, staff suspended after preliminary probe
Following the student’s complaint, authorities suspended Dr Chandra Shekar Biradar, the principal of Sai Spoorthi PU College, and staff member Satish Pawar. The move comes amid growing concern over similar complaints at other centres.
Similar incident in Shivamogga, 2 home guards suspended
In a separate case at a CET centre in Shivamogga, two home guards were suspended for asking students to remove the Janeu during the frisking process. Shivamogga Deputy Commissioner Gurudatta Hegde said CCTV footage confirmed the guards acted without proper knowledge. “One student removed the thread while another refused. A minute later, the principal intervened and allowed the student to take the exam with the thread on,” he said.
Union Minister calls incident ‘highly condemnable’
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi criticised the state government and alleged a pattern of religious insensitivity. “This reflects the attitude of the pseudo-secular government in Karnataka. Asking students to remove or cut the Janeu is highly condemnable,” Joshi said. “Though the authorities have apologised, what about the student who couldn’t write the exam? A solution must be found.”
State authorities reviewing policies
Officials say an internal review is underway to assess how such incidents occurred and to ensure that cultural or religious attire is not misinterpreted during exam security checks. The Karnataka Examination Authority is yet to comment on the matter.
(With ANI inputs)