NEET 2018: Physical frisking was avoidable, says MCI

New Delhi, May 10: Reacting to the anger and complaints of students and parents regarding stringent frisking at the NEET exam centres, Dr. Jayshree Mehta, President, Medical Council of India, the regulatory body for Medical Education in the country said that frisking, though required, could have been done in a better way.

Frisking at NEET exam centres on May 6 left many students demotivated and their parents angry. Parents complained that this kind of frisking, especially for girls was very annoying and lowered the confidence level of the candidates, leaving them anguished during one of the most important exams that decide their career.

"That much is not required, but of course, policing is required because young generation is very smart. If they got to cheat us, they will cheat us by any means. It should be done, but personal frisking that’s about clothes and all, should not be there. But again, this is with the CBSE and the state government," said Dr. Mehta. "They could have used technology (to combat undue practices)," she added.

CBSE conducts NEET, the entrance test for undergraduate medical studies across India, except for AIIMS and JIPMER.

According to NEET 2018 dress code, candidates were asked to wear light clothes with short sleeves so as to not arouse suspicion. Aspirants were asked to be in sandals since shoes were banned at the exam centres.

Students were not only frisked for clothes and sacred threads, but girls wearing earrings, pendants, nose pin, safety pins were asked to remove them before entering the exam hall.

Candidates in customary dresses, like burkha had to report an hour earlier than others.

Over 13 lakh aspirants appeared for NEET 2018 across the country on Sunday the 6^th of May. The result is expected to be announced on or before 5^th of June, 2018.