A candidate who appeared for NTA NET examination, the national level teacher eligibility cum fellowship test, alleged that she was asked to remove her Hijab (headgear) despite rules mandating against it. The candidate who appeared for the exam on December 5 at a Noida (Uttar Pradesh) centre also said the actions by the centre officials caused her emotional torture and she could not attend the exam properly.
When contacted the National Testing Agency (NTA), the government body which conducts the National Eligibility Test or NET, said it will "take appropriate action when a proper complaint is made" regarding the incident.
"Just before the exam we had a biometric test and I was forcefully made to remove my Hijab and when I questioned the officials about their actions they said it was the rule for NET exam that for bio-metric tests we had to do so," the candidate said.
"I cried from there, and, after the exam met with the people in-charge of the IT centre and they apologised for it... and when I asked about how would they recompense for the emotional torture I underwent during the exam they said that they promise, this incident will not be repeated," she added.
"Our instructions are very clear that to respect everybody's beliefs and customs during the examination process. So far, as per the reports we have received from the exam centres, the instructions have been followed religiously," an NTA official told NDTV.
"In our knowledge, we have not received any particular complaint on this issue. However, we will take appropriate action when proper complaint is made," he added.
The candidate who is pursuing her Masters from a Delhi-based central university said another student who appeared in the afternoon session of the exam faced similar treatment from the centre officials.
The candidate who already emailed the NTA regarding the harrowing experience now wants action against the centre officials and also a retake of the exam.
The December edition of NET exams started on December 2 and will conclude today.
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