News Brief
Sacred Thread Row: Karnataka PU College Staff Dismissed In Bidar; Inquiry Ordered Amid Growing Outrage Over Religious Freedom
Students going through frisking before entering examination centre (Representative Image)
In a fast-escalating controversy over religious freedom and examination protocols, the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) has ordered the dismissal of Chandrashekara Biradara, Principal of Sai Spoorthi PU College in Bidar and second division clerk Satish Pawar.
This came after the duo allegedly denied a KCET candidate, Suchivrata Kulkarni, permission to appear for the mathematics paper on Thursday (17 April) for wearing a sacred thread (Janeu) similar to the incident in Shivamogga.
Acting on an interim report by Bidar Deputy Commissioner Shilpa Sharma, the KEA and Karnataka higher education department directed the action.
The officials were found negligent in following KEA guidelines, which allow non-metallic sacred threads during the examination. The report also stated that college staff made derogatory remarks towards the student.
Despite being barred from the maths paper, Kulkarni was allowed to take the physics and chemistry papers on 16 April at the same centre while wearing the sacred thread, raising questions about inconsistent enforcement. The report recommended disciplinary action and remedial support for the student.
Protests erupted in Bidar, with members of the Akhila Karnataka Brahmin Mahasabha and pro-Hindu groups condemning the incident as an affront to religious sentiments.
The sacred thread (Janeu) row during the Karnataka Common Entrance Test (KCET) deepened this week with examples similar to this emerging from other parts of the state as well.
In Shivamogga, two second-year PU students were allegedly forced by security staff to remove their sacred threads. The incident sparked immediate backlash from the local Brahmin community, who confronted police and demanded action against those responsible.
Shivamogga police have booked CET officials for the breach and home guards have been suspended following a complaint by candidate Nataraj Bhagavath, who alleged sacred threads were forcibly cut and discarded.
