NEET Exam Religious Discrimination Row: Hindu Girl Asked to Remove Tulsi Mala in Surat, Burqa Allowed in Barmer
A NEET exam religious discrimination controversy has erupted after a Hindu candidate in Surat, Gujarat, was reportedly directed to remove her Kanthi mala — a sacred Tulsi bead necklace — before entering the examination hall, while a candidate wearing a burqa in Barmer, Rajasthan, was permitted to continue wearing the garment after a security check.
The two incidents, both occurring during the same NEET 2025 examination cycle, have triggered widespread debate about the uniformity of dress code enforcement at exam centres across India. Critics argue the contrasting decisions reveal an inconsistent application of the National Testing Agency’s (NTA) examination guidelines.
What Happened at the Surat and Barmer Exam Centres
At an examination centre in Surat, invigilators instructed a female Hindu candidate to remove her Kanthi mala, a thin string of Tulsi beads worn as a mark of religious devotion. The candidate and her family contend the item posed no security threat and that the directive amounted to targeting of a religious symbol.
In a separate incident in Barmer, a candidate dressed in a full burqa was stopped for a security check before entering the hall. However, after the check was completed, she was allowed to sit the examination without being asked to remove the garment. Both incidents were captured on video and circulated widely across social media platforms.
The NEET exam, officially known as the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, is conducted by the NTA and serves as the single gateway for admission to undergraduate medical and dental courses across India. For more background on the examination, see the Wikipedia article on NEET.
NEET Dress Code Rules and the Discrimination Debate
The NTA’s official dress code guidelines for NEET 2025 prohibit candidates from wearing items that could conceal electronic devices or cheat material. Religious threads, small pendants, and strings are generally flagged for inspection, though the guidelines do not explicitly single out any religious garment.
What has angered many observers is not the act of inspection itself, but the outcome. In Surat, the Tulsi mala — an item of minimal physical bulk — was removed entirely. In Barmer, a significantly larger garment was retained after inspection. This gap in outcome has fuelled allegations of NEET exam religious discrimination.
Several social media users and political commentators have pointed to the two incidents as evidence of a double standard. Some Hindu groups have formally demanded that the NTA issue a clarification on how dress code rules are applied uniformly, regardless of a candidate’s religious background.
NTA’s Position and Calls for Uniform Guidelines
As of the time of publication, the NTA has not issued a formal public response specifically addressing either the Surat or Barmer incidents. The agency has historically stated that all candidates are subject to the same entry protocols, with individual centre superintendents empowered to make real-time decisions about permitted items.
That decentralised authority is now at the centre of the controversy. Critics argue that giving local invigilators discretionary power, without clear and enforceable definitions of what constitutes a prohibited item, creates conditions where bias — conscious or otherwise — can influence decisions. A standardised, written protocol applied identically at every centre is what advocacy groups are now demanding.
This is not the first time the NEET exam has faced scrutiny over procedural inconsistency. In 2024, the NTA faced a major paper-leak controversy that led to the cancellation of results in several states and a Supreme Court intervention. The agency has been under sustained pressure to reform its examination infrastructure and oversight mechanisms.
What This Means and What Comes Next
The NEET exam religious discrimination allegations, if substantiated by an independent investigation, could have significant implications for how India’s largest medical entrance test is administered. The NTA serves approximately 2.3 million candidates annually, making uniform and fair treatment a matter of national importance.
For the candidate in Surat, the distress of being asked to remove a sacred item moments before a high-stakes examination represents a personal harm that goes beyond policy debate. For the broader NEET candidate community, the incident raises a legitimate question: are the same rules applied to everyone in the same way?
Political parties have begun responding to the viral videos. Several BJP leaders have demanded an inquiry into the Surat incident, while opposition voices have called for a comprehensive review of dress code enforcement across all NEET centres nationally. The matter is expected to reach parliamentary debate if the NTA does not respond formally within days.
Stay informed with the latest developments by following entertainment news on nowlatest.com and be sure to check movie reviews on nowlatest.com for all our editorial coverage. The NTA is expected to address media queries on NEET 2025 administration at its next scheduled press briefing.
