A fresh controversy has emerged during the Karnataka Common Entrance Test (CET) after a student alleged that his sacred thread (janivara) was forcibly cut and thrown into a dustbin at an engineering college near Devanahalli.
The student, Supreeth, said he was stopped by staff while entering the examination centre and was asked to remove the thread, which he had been wearing following his recent upanayana ceremony.
He alleged that although he offered to remove the sacred thread himself, staff members cut it and discarded it. The incident, he said, left him emotionally distressed and affected his performance in the CET. He has sought either a re-examination or grace marks.
His mother, a single parent, said her son is a meritorious student who scored 90 per cent in PUC and demanded intervention from the Higher Education Department.
The Akhila Karnataka Brahmana Mahasabha condemned the incident and said it would file complaints with higher authorities, seeking action against the college staff.
The allegation comes days after a similar controversy over dress code checks at an exam centre in Bengaluru. In that case, five Brahmin students at a college were allegedly asked to remove their sacred threads before entering the examination hall on the first day.
One student told PTI that he complied with the invigilators’ instructions despite his reservations.
Other students also alleged that sacred threads tied to the wrist, referred to as mauli or kalava, were removed by invigilators.
Parents who reached the exam centre questioned the action, saying there were standing instructions not to remove sacred threads.
The controversy led to the registration of an FIR under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita related to disturbing communal harmony, and three professors were suspended. Further investigation is under way.
Karnataka Higher Education Minister MC Sudhakar described the earlier incident as unfortunate and said the government had ordered a probe. “I have already received a letter from the institution stating that they have suspended three individuals,” he said.
The BJP criticised the Congress-led Karnataka government over the Bengaluru incident, calling it “anti-Hindu”. Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka said, “We condemn the incident. It is an attack on Hindu traditions.”
(With inputs from PTI)
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Published By:
Aprameya Rao
Published On:
Apr 26, 2026 17:20 IST
