Nun says no to frisking, barred from AIPMT

Thiruvananthapuram: A nun was denied permission to appear for the All India Pre-Medical Entrance Test (AIPMT) at a school in Kanjiramkulam on Saturday after she refused to be frisked as per the new dress code imposed by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) for the test. Around 36,000 of the over 60,000 candidates who had applied appeared for the re-examination on Saturday. The results will be announced in the second week of August.

Sister Seba, belonging to Bethany Convent in Nalanchira who was to take the test at the Jawahar Central School  this morning, had sought permission to write the examination wearing her veil and cross. However, the school’s senior principal, D. Sathya Das, told reporters that she was denied permission to sit for the examination as she did not allow to be frisked. If she had cooperated with the guidelines issued by the CBSE, she could have written  the examination.

Sister Seba told media persons that she had requested a separate room to write the examination after removing the head scarf, but this was not accepted by the school authorities. Sister Seba said she was planning to move the court after discussing with the authorities of the Syro Malankara Catholic Church to which she belonged.

Many Muslims students wrote the examination at the centres after removing their headscarves. Students were allowed inside only after body frisking. The Supreme Court had on Friday refused to entertain the plea of an Islamic organisation that Muslim girl applicants be allowed to wear ‘hijab’  a customary religious dress, while appearing for the AIPMT.

In the backdrop of large-scale irregularities in the AIPMT held in May this year, the Apex Court had directed the CBSE to conduct a retest following which CBSE imposed a strict dress code. “It was unfortunate,” said Archbishop Cardinal Mar Baselios Cleemis, adding the veil is an important religious symbol for nuns.