Exam invigilators cuts sleeves of dresses worn by women candidates in Bihar

Invigilators of a competitive exam in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur snipped off the sleeves of dresses worn by women candidates who were appearing for the test, an official said on Sunday.

The footage of Saturday’s incident was flashed on regional news channels and was criticised by locals and the parents of the women, he said.

The women candidates, who enrolled for the nursing entrance exam of Bihar Combined Entrance Competitive Examination Board (BCECEB), were advised against wearing full-sleeved dresses, but some of them failed to adhere to the norm, District Education Officer Lalan Prasad Singh told PTI over the phone.

“The footage showed that the staff members of the examination centre at a public school were cutting off the sleeves of candidates with scissors and blades,” Singh said.

The education department conducted an inquiry into the incident and barred the school from holding competitive exams in future, Singh said.

“The intention of the exercise was not questionable and care was taken to involve only the female staff, but the problem was that the candidates were made to resize the sleeves in full public view,” the DEO said.

“The school, where the exam was held, has been blacklisted and it would no longer be entrusted with the duty of holding exams in the future. The official who served as exam superintendent has also been debarred for life,” he added.

The BCECEB conducts exams across the state every year for admission in various professional courses of medical, engineering and agriculture streams.

Courtesy: PTI