CTET candidates upset when told to remove mangalsutra & jewellery during frisking at Sambhajinagar

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Some candidates appearing for the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar appeared at exam centres wearing prohibited jewellery items, including mangalsutras, which they were asked to remove during frisking by the authorities. This led to heated arguments at a few centres, with some candidates and relatives accompanying them objecting to the removal of the mangalsutra of female candidates.Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said an inquiry will be ordered into the matter.One candidate said this was the first time in her life that she had been asked to remove her mangalsutra to take an exam. "This is objectionable. A woman removes her mangalsutra only after the death of her husband," she said on the condition of anonymity.Swarup Dutta, the city coordinator for the exam, however, said official guidelines clearly bar any form of jewellery inside the exam hall during the CTET. "The majority of female candidates followed the rules. However, a few candidates who were unaware of the rules objected to frisking. In some cases, gold jewellery was inspected for hidden devices and returned to candidates before entering the exam hall," said Dutta, who is the principal of Nath Valley School.A total of 11,521 candidates appeared for CTET in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar during the first session, and another 8,285 in the second session on Sunday.Reacting to the incident, Fadnavis said that in the past, authorities conducting exams experienced equipment used for cheating by candidates hidden in such items (jewellery). "However, it is wrong (such frisking), and precautions should be taken in advance. We will issue necessary instructions and ask for an inquiry," he told reporters in Ahilyanagar.Shiv Sena (UBT) politician Ambadas Danve was quick to target the govt over the frisking issue. "In the state of those who talk on about ‘Hindutva' and ‘culture,' women are being forced to remove their mangalsutras to sit for exams. Even after 11 years in power, the administration probably still cannot tell the difference between a ‘mangalsutra' and a ‘malpractice.' Is this our culture or govt repression? This exam is happening in Hindustan, not in Pakistan," Danve said in his social media post.