NEET UG 2022 innerwear frisking case: Kerala police arrests two more people, including NTA observer

New Delhi: The Kerala Police has arrested two more people, including an NTA observer and a Vice-Principal of the Institute, in connection with an alleged incident of women NEET aspirants being asked to remove their innerwear before the July 17 exam, news agency ANI reported on Thursday (July 21, 2022). Arrested individuals are Priji Kurian Issac, Vice-Principal, Mar Thoma Institute of IT and Center Superintendent of NEET examination, and NTA observer Dr Shamnad, ANI said citing Kollam Police.

The arrests came a day after the National Testing Agency (NTA) formed a three-member committee to look into the alleged incident. The panel includes senior NTA director Sadhna Parashar, principal of Saraswathi Vidyalaya in Kerala's Arappura Shylaja and Suchitra Shyjinth from Pragati Academy in Kerala and will submit its report in four weeks.

"The panel will visit the spot and verify the facts of the matter after talking to all people concerned," a senior NTA official said.

"It will see whether the security and frisking protocols of NTA as detailed in Chapter 9: Barred Items and Dress Code of the information bulletin, as well as guidelines for city coordinators, centre superintendents, observers and invigilators were followed," the official added.

A three-member fact-finding committee has been constituted by National Testing Agency (NTA) after reports of a NEET (UG)-2022 candidate being subjected to harassment/inhuman treatment at a center in Kollam, Kerala on July 17 pic.twitter.com/IokUGsR1Ne

— ANI (@ANI) July 20, 2022

Earlier, five women, who were on NEET exam duty, were arrested in Kerala on Tuesday for allegedly forcing girl students to remove their innerwear for appearing in the test. While three of them work for an agency hired by the NTA, two work for the private educational institute at Ayur where the incident took place.

Regarding the issue, V Muraleedharan, MOS, Ministry of External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs and other public representatives from Kerala also met Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Thank Hon Minister @EduMinOfIndia Shri @dpradhanbjp Ji for taking cognisance of an incident at the #NEETExam centre in Kollam, Kerala & instructing NTA to ascertain facts.https://t.co/UspI5N6Kel pic.twitter.com/KE9JuJiRqM — V Muraleedharan / വി മുരളീധരൻ (@VMBJP) July 19, 2022

Called on the Hon'ble Minister earlier today & requested an enquiry into the incident.

The decision to form a task force to enquire into the matter is reassuring to the students & parents.

Grateful to Hon Minister & @EduMinOfIndia for the timely intervention — V Muraleedharan / വി മുരളീധരൻ (@VMBJP) July 19, 2022

NEET UG 2022 frisking row: 'Naked assault on dignity of girl students', Kerala Minister writes to Dharmendra Pradhan

Kerala Higher Education Minister R Bindu, in a letter to Dharmendra Pradhan, expressed "dismay and shock" at the news of the "naked assault on the dignity and honour of the girl students." Bindu sought action to prevent future occurrences of a similar nature and sought the Union minister's intervention in the matter.

Kerala Edu. Minister Dr R Bindu has written a letter to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, taking strong exception to how girls students were forced to remove their bra before entering a NEET-UG exam centre near Kollam in Kerala. @rbinducpm #NEETUG2022 #NEET #NEETUG22 pic.twitter.com/cAqdYmUlNd — Voice of NEET UG Aspirants (@Voice_NEETUG) July 19, 2022

A senior NTA official, however, said, "No complaint or representation has been received by us. On basis of claims in media reports, an immediate report was sought from the centre superintendent and observer. They have informed that no such incident took place and the complaint is fictitious and has been filed with wrong intentions." 

The NEET dress code does not permit any such activity as alleged by the parent of the candidate. The code provides for ensuring sanctity and fairness of exam while observing sensitivity towards gender, culture and religion during frisking of candidates, the NTA official added.

NEET UG 2022 sees 95% attendance with record 18.72 lakh applicants

About 95 per cent attendance was on Sunday recorded in the medical entrance exam NEET, which had received the highest number of applications ever, according to National Testing Agency (NTA) officials. Breaching the 18-lakh mark, a total of 18,72,329 candidates had registered for the largest entrance exam in the county of which 10.64 lakh were female.

"About 95 per cent attendance was recorded today," a senior NTA official said.

This was the first time that the number of registrations for the NEET medical entrance exam surpassed 18 lakh, a considerable increase of over 2.5 lakh from 2021.

Last year, the NEET-undergraduate exam was held on September 12, with over 95 per cent of the registered candidates appearing for it. Over 15.44 lakh candidates appeared for the exam, which was conducted at 3,858 centres. Of these, at least 8.70 lakh students had qualified.

(With agency inputs)