NTA constitutes fact-finding panel to probe Kollam NEET incident

New Delhi [India], July 20 (ANI): The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Tuesday constituted a three-member fact-finding committee to probe the alleged incident in Kollam where a student was asked to remove her innerwear before appearing for the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) in Kerala.
The Committee will submit its report in four weeks.
"In pursuance of the directions of the Ministry of Education regarding a Candidate of NEET (UG)-2022 being subjected to harassment/ inhuman treatment at a Centre in Kollam District, Kerala during frisking at the examination centre on 17th July, 2022, a Fact Finding Committee to ascertain the facts on the spot has been constituted," the NTA said in a statement.
The member of the fact-finding committee are: Dr Sadhana Parashar, Senior Director of NTA; Shylaja OR, Principal of Saraswathi Vidyalaya Arappura Vattiyoorkavu, Kerala; and Suchitra Shyjinth, Pragati Academy, Kerala.
The committee will visit the spot and verify the facts of the matter after talking to all concerned persons.
"To see whether the security/frisking Protocols of NTA as detailed in "Chapter 9: Barred Items and Dress Code" of Information Bulletin, as well as "Chapter 3: Para 3.13 of NTA NEET(UG)-2022 Guidelines for City Coordinators, Centre Superintendents, Observers 8 Invigilators, were followed," the NTA said.
Meanwhile, BJP workers held a protest outside the examination centre, where women candidates were reportedly asked to remove their innerwear before entering the examination hall on July 18.
Union Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs V Muraleedharan on Tuesday thanked Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan for taking cognisance of an incident at the NEET Exam centre in Kerala's Kollam and instructing NTA to ascertain facts.
Kerala police on Tuesday registered a case in connection with an alleged incident where a student was asked to remove her innerwear before appearing for the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) in the state's Kollam district.
A case was registered under sections 354 and 509 of the Indian Penal Code at the Chadayamangalam police station in the Kollam Rural police district.
So far five people have been arrested in connection with an alleged incident. The arrested people include three from the agency and two from the college.
The incident came to light after a student filed a complaint with the Superintendent of Police at Kollam after the NEET exam for undergraduate medical courses on July 18.
In her complaint, the student alleged that she was asked to remove her innerwear before entering the examination hall.
Reportedly, the parent of the student alleged that girls were forced to remove their innerwear before being permitted to sit for the exam and they had to give the exam along with other students who were boys as well as male invigilators, which made the girls uncomfortable affected them mentally.
Citing the National Testing Agency's guidelines, the parent also highlighted that according to the norms mandated by the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts NEET had not mentioned any ban on any form of brassiere (bra) and hooks'.
Meanwhile, the NTA an autonomous and self-sustained testing organization for conducting entrance examinations in a statement said that the exam centre's superintendent, the independent observer, as well as city coordinator (NEET) of the Kollam district, did not find any such incident happening at the examination centre. (ANI)