Zero shame: Kerala school refuses to apologise for forcing student to remove bra before NEET

Despite the outrage caused by the NEET incident in Kerala, where a female candidate was asked to remove her bra before entering the exam hall, the student and her parents are miffed that the school officials have not issued a formal apology. 

The student, Anitha* and her mother allege that despite the CBSE Chairman R K Chaturvedi asking the Principal of the school to apologise to the aggrieved student, the school officials are yet to issue an apology to them. 

Speaking to The News Minute, Anitha's mother Rohini* said that the school Principal hasn't apologised for the trauma the incident caused her daughter. 

"The state human rights commission, after registering a suo motu case, recorded our statements yesterday. The police have also taken our statements, but we have not heard from the school Principal yet," Rohini said. 

Maintaining that the school officials had violated the basic human right of the student by asking her to remove her bra, the State Human Rights Commission had registered a suo motu case on May 8.

A day after this, the Pariyaram police also registered a case on this regard. Sub Inspector Vineesh said that a case has been registered against the school for humiliating the girl student. 

"Since the student is yet to identify the teachers who forced her to do so, we haven't added anyone's name in the FIR yet," the sub inspector said. 

On the same day, Rajesh, parent of another girl student, who was asked to cut off pockets and buttons from her jeans, had approached the National Human Rights Commission. 

He told The News Minute that he took the matter to the National Human Rights Commission because he wanted to make sure that such an incident is not repeated in the future. 

"Whatever happened is over now, my daughter and I were subjected to mental trauma and our self-esteem was compromised. But what we now have to focus on is that this does not get repeated a second time. And to ensure this, there should be strict action against the officials," Rajesh said. 

After receiving flak, the school suspended four women teachers related to the incident, for a month. But Rajesh feels that while the school Principal being asked to furnish an apology is mere formality, it does not serve a larger purpose. 

"We need to know whether enough awareness was given to the teachers. As far as I believe, the teachers do not have any discretion to impose anything on their own. They were merely following the instructions they were given. And so it is important to verify whether they were given proper training and whether they had inquired if bra hooks and jeans buttons too come under the rule," said Rajesh, a postal department employee. 

Despite repeated attempts, School Principal Jalaludhien could not be reached.

*Names changed