The NEET exam will be conducted on May 6, 2018 (file)
In a big relief to Sikh aspirants, the Delhi High Court has allowed them to wear
kara (iron bracelet) and
kripan (dagger) in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET)-UG.
The court has put a caveat that the Sikh candidates will have to report to exam venues an hour prior to the normal reporting time for proper screening and security checks.
A bench of justices S Ravindra Bhat and A K Chawla rejected the Central Board of Secondary Education's claim that these items, along with all other metallic objects, were barred from entry on account of use of unfair means in the exam in the past, saying such a prohibition cannot be put in place on the basis of a "vague apprehension".
"There cannot be a vague apprehension that people who come for the test will do it (cheat). Is there even one instance of misuse of these objects? If you go by your rule, there are lot of implants..," the court said and added "uniformity of the policy should not lead to absurdity".
The exam will be conducted on May 6, 2018. NEET UG is conducted for admission to MBBS/BDS courses in India in medical/dental colleges run with the approval of Medical Council of India/Dental Council of India.
Sikh organisations had been pressing the CBSE--which organises the test--for allowing
kakars (Sikh articles) in exam venues. Last year, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Kirpal Singh Badungar wrote a letter to the board to ensure that the Sikh candidates carry the articles in exam halls.
The organisation had underscored the importance of
kakars, saying they were integral parts of an
Amritdhari Sikh. It had said further that an
Amritdhari Sikh was not allowed to take off
kakars.
With inputs from agencies