Karnataka NEET Row: FIR Against 2 For Asking Students To Remove Sacred Thread At Exam Centre – News18

Last Updated:May 05, 2025, 09:21 IST

Protesters in Kalaburagi claimed Brahmin candidates were again asked to remove or had their sacred threads cut before entering NEET UG exam centre.

Karnataka NEET row: A massive row has been trigged after several candidates appearing for National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET)- UG 2025, were allegedly asked to remove or cut their “Janivara” (sacred thread) before entering the exam hall in Karnataka’s Kalaburagi on Sunday.

An FIR has also been launched against two exam staff members at the Station Bazar Police station in Kalaburagi based on the complaint of a candidate named Shripad Patil, who was reportedly made to remove his sacred thread at St. Mary’s School, the designated exam centre, before being permitted to enter the examination hall.

Patil has alleged in the complaint that two exam staff personnel, identified as Sharanagouda and Ganesh, forced him to remove the ‘Kashi Dara’ (sacred thread on the wrist) and ‘Janivara’  (sacred thread worn along the chest). First he resisted but eventually he was made to hand the sacred threads to his father before entering the exam hall.

The boy further alleged that the incident caused emotional strain to him, leading him to enter the incorrect details and it also hampered the overall quality of his answers in the exam.

The police have registered the FIR against the two accused under Section 298 (damaging or defiling a place of worship with the intent to insult the religion of any class of persons) of the IPC.

This incident comes close on the heels of a similar one during the Common Entrance Test held for engineering and other vocational courses on April 16, where the sacred threads of Brahmin boys were also removed.

Meanwhile, members of the Brahmin community staged a protest outside the NEET exam centre demanding accountability over the incident. The demonstrators accused authorities of religious insensitivity and violating previous government instructions issued to prevent such incidents.

The NEET-UG 2025 was conducted across the country on Sunday by the National Testing Agency (NTA). Lakhs of medical aspirants appeared for the exam, which is the gateway to MBBS, BDS, and other undergraduate medical courses in India.

This year’s NEET was held under heightened security due to last year’s controversy involving alleged paper leaks and inflated scores.

Location :

Karnataka, India, India

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