Sikh student’s turban removed during frisking at MPPSC exam; incident follows hijab row: 'Never faced such an issue'

UJJAIN: Days after two Class 8 students were allegedly asked to remove their hijab and warned of a 20-mark deduction during a board examination at a private school in Sirpur on Feb 25, a fresh controversy over religious attire has surfaced in Madhya Pradesh, this time involving an Amritdhari Sikh candidate.

In Ratlam on Sunday, Gurlin Kaur, a resident of Chittorgarh, Rajasthan, alleged that her Dumala (turban) was removed and her kirpan taken off during security screening for the MPPSC State Eligibility Test (SET) at an examination centre on Sagod Road.


According to Kaur, female staff escorted her to a separate room before the exam and asked her to remove her turban for checking. Her kirpan was also removed and inspected before being returned. "This is part of our faith. I have appeared for several exams earlier and never faced such an issue," she said after the examination.

The incident triggered protests by members of the local Sikh community, who gathered outside the centre alleging that religious sentiments had been hurt. They questioned why removal of religious headgear was necessary, claiming exam guidelines did not mandate such action.

Avtar Singh Saluja, president of Shri Guru Singh Sabha, Ratlam, said the act caused "mental trauma," emphasising that Amritdhari Sikhs are required to observe the five Ks as an essential part of their faith. A relative of the candidate also questioned why such incidents repeatedly involve religious identity during examinations.

Senior administrative officials, including the SDM and CSP, reached the centre following the protest. Authorities maintained that the frisking was conducted as per commission guidelines and denied any deliberate intent to hurt sentiments.

Centre superintendent Subhash Kumawat said the checking was carried out under instructions from the commission and may have occurred "out of ignorance." He added that the turban was removed only for inspection and returned immediately, expressing regret if religious sentiments were hurt.

SDM Vivek Sonkar said staff had been cautioned to exercise greater sensitivity in the future.

The back-to-back incidents involving religious attire during examinations have raised questions about the balance between security protocols and respect for faith, prompting calls for clearer and more sensitive implementation of guidelines at exam centres across the state.