Karnataka News: An interesting and controversial case has come to light in Karnataka’s Bidar district. Here a student was asked to remove the sacred thread (jaanu) at the examination center, after which he was barred from appearing in the exam. The incident took place on April 17 when the student Suchivrat Kulkarni entered Sai Spriti PU College to take the Common Eligibility Test (CET). The student alleged that the staff at the examination center asked him to remove the sacred thread, otherwise he would not be allowed to appear in the exam.
The student refused to remove it due to religious reasons
Suchivrat Kulkarni said that he was not ready to remove this tradition related to his religious faith. He clearly told the staff that it is his religious symbol and he is not ready to remove it. Despite this, he was excluded from the examination. After this incident, the matter started gaining momentum, and many organizations saw it as religious discrimination. Supporting the student’s words, his mother also expressed strong displeasure over this decision.
Bidar, Karnataka | Principal of Sai Spoorti PU College, Dr Chandra Shekar Biradar, and staff, Satish Pawar have now been suspended with immediate effect.
A student, Suchivrat Kulkarni, claims he was made to remove the sacred thread (Janeu) at the Karnataka CET exam centre on… pic.twitter.com/J5VRmtjg9a
— ANI (@ANI) April 20, 2025
Principal and staff of the college suspended
The administration has taken strict action in this case. Sai Spriti PU College Principal Dr. Chandrashekhar Birdar and staff member Satyash Pawar have been suspended with immediate effect. The education department took it seriously and said that such acts will not be tolerated at all. They also made it clear that such incidents violate the rights of students, and strict action will be taken against them. This step was taken by the administration in the direction of doing justice to the student.
Suchivrat Kulkarni’s mother, Neeta Kulkarni, expressed her displeasure over the issue and said that her son could not compromise on his religious beliefs. She said, “My son told me that he cannot remove the sacred thread, as it is linked to his religious beliefs. Yet he was excluded from the examination, this was completely wrong.” Neeta Kulkarni appealed to the government to either make her son take the examination again or give him admission in a good college and the expenses of his studies should be borne by the government. She said that this is not just a matter of a student but of the entire society, and strict action should be taken in such cases.
Society and government’s response
The incident has sparked a debate on religious beliefs and individual rights across the country, including Karnataka. Some people are looking at the incident as religious discrimination, while others believe that some rules should have been followed at the exam center. However, the education department and the government have continued their investigation into the matter. Officials have said that if such cases come to light again, strict action will be taken against the culprits. Apart from this, after a thorough investigation of the case, it will be ensured what changes can be made at the exam centers to avoid such controversies in the future.
