Women candidates to be frisked during exam after seeking their permission, says Assam govt official

Guwahati, Sep 23 (IANS) Amid the controversy over touching private parts while frisking a female candidate by police constable during a recent Assam government recruitment examination, now onwards women aspirants will be checked only after seeking their consent while entering the exam hall, an official said on Monday.

A senior government official told IANS: "The state administration is committed to make the government recruitment examination transparent. In course of this, we have to foil any attempt of adopting illegal means by candidates. However, it is also important to maintain the dignity of women in every situation. From now onwards, the female candidates will be frisked only after taking consent of the individual by security personnel.

"If a woman aspirant does not give her consent for body-checking to the security personnel, then a separate sitting arrangement will be done for her in the examination."

To recall, a girl from Nalbari district earlier alleged that a lady constable searched her private parts while she was entering the examination hall to take a government recruitment examination that took place in the state recently where more than 11 lakhs applicants took part in the exercise. The examinations were conducted in more than 2,300 centres across the state.

Reacting to the incident, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma immediately ordered a probe under the Director General of Police into the incident.

Sarma reiterated that he gives the highest preference for the dignity and respect of women; this is a non-negotiable thing.

Taking to X handle, he wrote: "My instruction to the police on the Nalbari incident - I spoke with the DGP, Assam, @gpsinghips and instructed him to investigate the incident where a girl student has alleged that a lady constable searched her private parts before she entered the examination hall. For me, the dignity and respect of our mothers and sisters are of the utmost importance and non-negotiable."

--IANS

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