The Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA), on Friday, June 3, announced that students wearing hijab will not be allowed to enter the examination hall to take the Common Entrance Test (CET) for admissions to professional courses. The KEA has also clarified that any cloth or dress which symbolises religion is not allowed.

The students will have to remove their hijab before entering the examination hall. The CET examination will be conducted on the lines of SSLC (10th class) and II PUC exams. CET will be held on June 16, 17, and 18. The students have been asked to attend CET with respective uniforms.

In the backdrop of allegations of rampant corrupt practices in entrance exams to posts of Police Sub-inspectors (PSI) and Associate Professors, authorities have decided to ensure fair conduct of examinations.

Students attending CET are not allowed to wear ‘mangal sutras', nose ring, earring, gold chain, bangles and other gold ornaments. The students have also been asked not to bring watches, calculators and any electronic device.

While girls have been asked to strictly wear salwar suits and sandals, boys should be wearing only a half-sleeve shirt and pants without an in-shirt, along with sandals. Further, the students are allowed to take a plain water bottle inside the hall.

The exams will be conducted on the lines of NEET exams, and jammers and metal detectors have been installed in the examination halls. Around 2.11 lakh students, including 1.4 lakh boys and 1.7 lakh girls, have enrolled for the examination. KEA Executive Director S Ramya told The Hindu, “We are planning to conduct the CET exam like NEET. There will be many restrictions in the examination hall. Shortly, we will release a note about the do’s and don’ts for students.”

(With IANS inputs)

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