Karnataka CET row: Brahmin students told to remove Janeu, Kalawa; ‘couldn’t write exam properly,’ says student

A fresh controversy has surfaced during the Common Entrance Test (CET) in Bengaluru, where students alleged they were forced to remove religious threads, including the sacred Janeu and Kalawa, before being allowed to appear for the exam. The incident, reported from a college centre in Madivala, has triggered protests from parents and sharp political reactions.

Students allege forced removal of religious threads

According to students, invigilators at the examination centre asked them to remove the sacred thread (Janeu/Yajnopaveetha) despite no such instruction being mentioned in the official guidelines.

One student said, "When I went to the examination centre, the teachers got my ear ring removed. I can still understand that because no metal is allowed, but they also forced me to get the sacred thread removed from the body."


Another student described the situation in detail: "I went to the center around 9.40 am. I kept the bag in the room and they didn't allow me because they saw my 'Janeu'. They started telling that you have to remove it. If you don't remove, we can't allow you to write the exam... Around seven students were also asked to remove their Janeu. We had no option so we removed it... I felt very sad. I could not write the CET exam properly... This happened yesterday.."

Students said they complied under pressure, fearing they would otherwise miss the exam.

Kalawa on wrist also removed, students claim

Apart from the Janeu, some candidates alleged that invigilators also asked them to remove the red and yellow thread (Kalawa/Mauli) tied on their wrists. This added to the distress among students, who said the checks went beyond standard exam rules.

Parents raise objections after exam

After the examination ended, parents reached the centre and questioned the authorities. They pointed out that the government had earlier clarified that sacred threads should not be removed during CET.
Despite those directions, parents claimed similar incidents have happened again this year.

Similar complaints reported earlier

This is not the first time such allegations have emerged. Earlier, similar controversies were reported from centres in Shivamogga and Bidar. Following those incidents, Karnataka Higher Education Minister M. C. Sudhakar had assured that action would be taken against those responsible. The Chief Minister had also directed officials last year not to insist on removal of sacred threads during exams.

BJP slams Congress over incident

The issue has taken a political turn, with Leader of Opposition R. Ashoka criticising the Congress government.
"The anti-Hindu misdeeds of the Congress government, such as making people remove mangalsutra and janivara are continuing," Ashoka alleged.

He questioned why students were being asked to remove religious threads when there was no mention of such a rule in the CET guidelines.

"The Congress, alias the modern Muslim League government in the state, has unofficially implemented Sharia law. On one side, the government changed school timings of Urdu medium schools during the month of Ramzan, on the other side, in the name of examination checking, it is allowing the removal of mangalsutra and cutting of janivara," Ashoka alleged.

The incident has once again raised concerns about how exam rules are implemented on the ground. With students claiming emotional distress and disruption during a crucial test, parents are now demanding clarity to ensure such situations do not repeat in future exams.