The National Commission for Women has sought strict action after a male security guard was seen cutting the sleeves of a dress worn by a girl during the Rajasthan Administrative Services examination on Wednesday. Referring to a photograph from an exam centre in Bikaner, the NCW has asked the Rajasthan government to take strict action against those responsible for violating the right of women to live with dignity, and asked why female security guards were not deputed to check female candidates.
The NCW has said that it has come across an outrageous media post wherein a male security guard can be seen cutting the sleeves of a top worn by a female candidate outside an examination centre for Rajasthan Administrative Services, 2021 in Bikaner district, and it is appalled at the reported incident. “It is utterly humiliating to make women go through such harassment and NCW strongly condemns the shameful incident. The Commission has taken suo motu cognizance in the matter,” a statement issued by the commission said.
It added that NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma has written to the chief secretary of the Rajasthan govt seeking strict action against those responsible for the act. The commission has also demanded an explanation as to why no female guard was deputed to search female candidates at the centre.
Earlier in the day, NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma had posted a tweet with a newspaper clip, where the photograph from Bikaner was publish showing a security guard cutting the sleeves of a dress of a female candidate. “How can they cut clothes of girls in the name of controling cheating? This is atrocious,” she had said, and told CM Ashok Gehlot that he must stop this dictate.
How can they cut clothes of girls in the name of controling cheating? This is atrocious. @ashokgehlot51 you must stop this dictat. pic.twitter.com/AIFswZojpG
— Rekha Sharma (@sharmarekha) October 28, 2021
Even though the NCW is only talking about one incident, such incidents happened across the state on Wednesday during the RAS Preliminary exams. Reportedly, candidates were told that full sleeves will be not allowed during the exams, apparently to prevent cheating, and full sleeves of dresses worn by female candidates were cut by security guards outside several exam centres.
However, photos of other such incidents show that the sleeves of dresses of women were cut by female security guards in most other places. The instructions issued to the candidates for the exam had stated that both male and female
Rajasthan government has been taking extreme steps in recent times to prevent cheating in examinations. They had shut down mobile internet services, social media and messaging platforms to prevent their misuse by the candidates.
