Bengaluru/Shivamogga: The principal and a second-division clerk of a Bidar college were dismissed on Saturday after a student was allegedly barred from answering the Common Entrance Test (CET) maths paper for coming to the examination hall wearing a janivara (sacred thread).
A district commissioner's report revealed that the exam staff at Bidar's Sai Spoorthi PU College had mistaken the janivara for a metallic accessory, leading to a misapplication of the CET dress code. The student was later allowed to write the biology paper in Thursday's afternoon session.
A similar incident was reported in Shivamogga too following which two home guards have been booked under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), prompting statewide debate over the handling of religious symbols in exam halls. The report found college principal Chandrasekhara Biradara and inspection staffer Satish Pawar negligent.
Chief invigilator failed to notify KEA: Report
The chief invigilator, Moddasir, was also informed about the incident but failed to resolve the issue or notify KEA, the report added.
Based on the findings, the departments of pre-university and higher education recommended their dismissal, which Sai Spoorthi PU College formalised. However, it remains unclear if the affected student will be given a re-exam. The matter is expected to be discussed with the chief minister, said sources.
In a similar incident in Shivamogga, three students at Adichunchanagiri PU College were reportedly asked to remove their janivaras Wednesday. One student refused but was still allowed to take the exam, while two others complied. The matter came to light after a complaint by Natraj Bhagavath of Karnataka Brahmin Sabha.
Police registered an FIR and two of the home guards involved were suspended.
A senior police officer said that when questioned college authorities said they only provided the premises and had no role in conducting or facilitating the exams. They also stated that the staff did not ask students to remove their sacred threads, but only the Kashi dhara (sacred thread worn around the wrist).
Deputy commissioner Gurudatta Hegde said CCTV footage did not show sacred threads being discarded in a dustbin, indicating the student may have removed it voluntarily. "The issue stemmed from the security guards' poor judgment rather than any deliberate action against the sacred thread," he noted.
Home minister G Parameshwara condemned the incident, saying, "It is a grave mistake, and I can't accept such things."
In Hubballi, Union minister Pralhad Joshi termed the incident "an attack on the Janivara belief", calling for clearer instructions from the state.
A district commissioner's report revealed that the exam staff at Bidar's Sai Spoorthi PU College had mistaken the janivara for a metallic accessory, leading to a misapplication of the CET dress code. The student was later allowed to write the biology paper in Thursday's afternoon session.
A similar incident was reported in Shivamogga too following which two home guards have been booked under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), prompting statewide debate over the handling of religious symbols in exam halls. The report found college principal Chandrasekhara Biradara and inspection staffer Satish Pawar negligent.
Chief invigilator failed to notify KEA: Report
The chief invigilator, Moddasir, was also informed about the incident but failed to resolve the issue or notify KEA, the report added.
Based on the findings, the departments of pre-university and higher education recommended their dismissal, which Sai Spoorthi PU College formalised. However, it remains unclear if the affected student will be given a re-exam. The matter is expected to be discussed with the chief minister, said sources.
In a similar incident in Shivamogga, three students at Adichunchanagiri PU College were reportedly asked to remove their janivaras Wednesday. One student refused but was still allowed to take the exam, while two others complied. The matter came to light after a complaint by Natraj Bhagavath of Karnataka Brahmin Sabha.
Police registered an FIR and two of the home guards involved were suspended.
A senior police officer said that when questioned college authorities said they only provided the premises and had no role in conducting or facilitating the exams. They also stated that the staff did not ask students to remove their sacred threads, but only the Kashi dhara (sacred thread worn around the wrist).
Deputy commissioner Gurudatta Hegde said CCTV footage did not show sacred threads being discarded in a dustbin, indicating the student may have removed it voluntarily. "The issue stemmed from the security guards' poor judgment rather than any deliberate action against the sacred thread," he noted.
Home minister G Parameshwara condemned the incident, saying, "It is a grave mistake, and I can't accept such things."
In Hubballi, Union minister Pralhad Joshi termed the incident "an attack on the Janivara belief", calling for clearer instructions from the state.
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