A class 10 student from Kerala who was taking his Chemistry board exam on Tuesday, was forced to defecate in the exam hall as the invigilator denied him a bathroom break. The incident happened in a Government Higher Secondary school in Kollam on Tuesday. The boy who was suffering from stomach pain, had reportedly asked the lady invigilator if he could use the bathroom during the exam hours and he was denied permission for the same.
According to reports, the authorities at the exam centre came to know about the issue only after the exam.
"My son had stomach pain and he had requested the invigilator at least thrice whether he can use the bathroom. In this case, the invigilator did not bother informing the chief superintendent or the deputy superintendent, who were present in the exam centre, about the issue. She categorically denied permission to him. Worried, he was feeling disoriented and sort of became unaware of his surroundings. And therefore, he defecated," his father told TNM.
The father however added that the son is already under stress and therefore he has requested the police to not act on the case till the exams are over.
"He is under stress, and I don't want it to increase," he said.
The student had also hidden the incident from his parents, who came to know about it the following day, March 20. On the same day, a police complaint was filed at the local station by the parents. However, the investigation will begin only after the Board exams get over on March 27.
“The parents had specifically requested for us take action only after the exams were over. This is to ensure that we do not cause any inconvenience or mental pressure to the student during his exams,” an officer from the station told TNM.
Harassment from proctors or invigilators during exams is not a new phenomenon in the state. In May 2018, an 18-year-old NEET candidate from Palakkad had filed a police complaint against a male invigilator for sexual harassment during the exam. In her complaint, Saira (name changed) said that she along with 25 other girls were asked to remove their bra prior to the exam, as it had metal hooks on them. While she was writing her exam, the invigilator stood next to her and kept staring at her chest. He even visited her class multiple times, she stated.