It is no wonder that protests and outrage erupted in the state against the uncivilized action against the culture, decency and personal freedom of the girls at the Marthoma College in Ayur in connection with the 'NEET examination held last Sunday. What happened in the college in the name of a frisking ahead of the exam was a ridiculous action. While nearly 18 lakh students appeared for the examination across the country, such an incident was reported only in Kerala. More than one lakh children appeared for the exam in the state itself. Among them, about 100 girls who came to write the examination at Marthoma College had to face a humiliating experience. In the land of law and justice, the National Testing Agency, which is in charge of the examination, is under fire for the arrogance shown by a handful of officials. The centres of power, which are responsible for protecting the dignity of girls, are sitting in their seats of power without any worries. People are eager to know what action they are going to take against the officials.

The guidelines to be followed by candidates appearing for the NEET exam were announced some days back. The guidelines mentioned everything from the clothes to the footwear to be worn. Rigorous systems to prevent malpractice are part of the exam. There is strict frisking. The students do not hesitate to cooperate with such arrangements. Although jewellery and clothes may lead to some confusion, the officials usually take a student-friendly approach. Along with the publication of guidelines for children, it is necessary to publish guidelines for those performing supervision and inspection work.

The misfortune the girls had to face proves that the state of mind of the officers assigned to the college in Ayur was not right. How else can one describe their action of forcing the girls to remove their undergarments in the name of frisking and dumping the undergarments in the room?​​ Were there no more responsible officers above them? Why didn't anyone intervene when the children were in trouble? Many students wrote the exam by controlling their tears as they did not want to mess up the exam after two or three years of continuous study. After the examination, only the parents of two children dared to file a complaint with the police. Others kept quiet to avoid controversy. Such stands will encourage the authorities.

Monitoring systems should be put in place to detect exam malpractices without having to conduct frisking by forcing students to remove their innerwear. The vigilance system should be strengthened by deputing more officers. If the authorities are not able to do this, they can introduce a new dress code to be worn by those appearing for the exam. In any case, the present despicable and barbaric system of frisking must be stopped forever.