[NEET Bra removal row] Kerala High Court seeks report from NTA in plea to compensate female students

The Kerala High Court on Friday sought a detailed response from the National Testing Agency to a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking compensation for all those female candidates who were forced to remove their bras before appearing for National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) conducted recently in Kollam district [Asif Azad v Union of India]..A division bench of Chief Justice S Manikumar and Justice Shaji P Chaly directed the National Testing Agency (NTA) to file a detailed statement along with all supporting documents on the manner in which the exam was conducted and the enquiry conducted subsequent to the incident..The PIL was moved by one Asif Azad, who appeared in-person, seeking directions to the Central Government to publish a common protocol for conducting exams across the country.The case relates to a recent incident when some female NEET aspirants were asked to remove their bras before being allowed into the examination hall as metal hooks were detected on their innerwear during screening. The plea moved before the High Court stated that the garments that were removed by the aspirants, were stacked on top of each other in another room with no regard to Covid-19 regulations.It was further claimed that this was not an isolated incident and that even as far back as 2017, some teachers had to be suspended for asking a female candidate to remove her innerwear before entering a NEET centre in Kerala.According to the petitioner, if a common protocol is set up and implemented, such violations of the rights guaranteed under Article 21 can be avoided in the future.It was also suggested that instead of such frisking and stringent screening relying on metal detectors, CCTV cameras be installed in examination halls to detect any cheating or malpractice..At the hearing on Wednesday, advocate S Nirmal, Standing Counsel for the NTA submitted that petitioner had made inappropriate averments against the agency, which has conducted NEET examination for nearly 3 lakh students across the country. He further submitted that with regard to the alleged incident, a crime has been registered. Government Pleader KP Harish confirmed the same.Nirmal also opposed the plea on the ground that it does not satisfy the requirements of a PIL .The Court directed the standing counsel to include the objections raised regarding the credibility and satisfaction of the requirements of a PIL in the statement to be submitted..The matter will be taken up next on Friday, August 5. .[Read Order]