Ordeal of frisking for NEET: Re-exam on Sept 4
New Delhi/Kollam, Aug 27: The National Testing Agency (NTA) has decided to conduct NEET again for girl students, who were allegedly forced to remove their undergarments before entering an exam centre in Kollam district of Kerala last month, official sources said on Saturday.
The re-examination would be held on September 4, said the sources.
"The NTA has allowed the affected students to re-appear for the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) on September 4 in Kollam. Besides Kollam, re-examination will be held for the affected candidates of two centres in Rajasthan, two in Madhya Pradesh and one in Uttar Pradesh," they said.
The issue of forcing the girls to remove their innerwear before entering an exam centre in Kollam district on July 17 created a huge uproar across the country.
Seven people, including five women, were arrested in connection with the removal of undergarments in the name of frisking to curb exam malpractice.
The issue came to light when the father of a 17-year-old girl told reporters that his daughter, who was sitting for her first-ever NEET, was yet to come out of the traumatic experience of having to sit for the over 3-hour-long exam without an undergarment.
The father had told reporters that his daughter was dressed as per the code mentioned in the NEET bulletin, but it did not say anything about innerwear.
The NTA formed a committee to conduct an inquiry.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
UP Cong holds statewide protest seeking probe into FIR against Swami Avimukteshwaranand
Lucknow (PTI): The Uttar Pradesh Congress on Wednesday staged a statewide protest demanding a fair and transparent inquiry into the FIR lodged against Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati and those who filed the complaint against him.
In a statement issued here, the party said memorandums addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi were submitted through district magistrates in all districts of the state.
Uttar Pradesh Congress spokesperson Manish Hindvi told PTI that the memorandums were handed over through the district administration in all 75 districts.
In the memorandum, the party alleged that Saraswati and his disciples were "unnecessarily harassed and humiliated" by police on the occasion of Amavasya and were prevented from taking a ritual bath (at the Magh Mela). It further alleged that some disciples were manhandled and taken to a police station.
The memorandum also claimed that an FIR was later registered against Saraswati, his disciple Swami Mukundanand Brahmachari and several unidentified persons in a sexual harassment case. It termed the case a "conspiracy" aimed at tarnishing the seer's reputation.
Citing Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution, the memorandum stated that these provisions guarantee religious freedom and the right of religious denominations to manage their own affairs.
It described the position of shankaracharya held by Saraswati as "one of the highest spiritual posts in Sanatan tradition" and alleged that the entire episode appeared to have been "orchestrated in a planned manner".
"We request that the background of the persons who got the FIR registered be investigated in a transparent manner by a retired high court judge and strict action be taken against them," the memorandum said.
It also sought a "fair and transparent probe" into the allegations levelled against Saraswati so that the truth could be established.
Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai had told reporters in Varanasi after meeting Saraswati that the party stood firmly with him.
The Congress said it would continue to press for an impartial inquiry into the entire episode.
On February 21, an FIR was lodged in Prayagraj against Saraswati and his disciple Mukundanand Brahmachari on charges of sexually abusing two persons, including a minor, over the past year at a gurukul and religious congregations, including the recently concluded Magh Mela.
Days after he was booked, Saraswati had said on Monday that he would not oppose his arrest and asserted that the "fabricated story" would be exposed sooner or later.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Saraswati alleged that criminals rule in Uttar Pradesh, level allegations and influence investigations, as he denied having any contact with the two persons for whose alleged sexual abuse he has been booked.
_vb_77.jpeg)
_vb_00.jpeg)
