Women’s sleeves cut off in bizarre bid to prevent cheating in exam

A college in India has been banned from conducting exams after it came under fire for cutting the sleeves of women before they could take their nursing exams.

Students arrived at a college in the Muzaffarpur district of Bihar state from all over the country to sit their entrance exams.

However, a video aired on Indian TV showed that staff at the school cut off the sleeves of dresses and tops using scissors and razor blades upon arrival.

Shyam Sundar, Patna city Bureau Chief, told Economic Times that the students were told they needed to cut their sleeves to “stop malpractices”, and that if they did not do so, they could not take the exam.

He said:

This was very embarrassing for students.

Protests erupted outside the university, and District education officer Lalan Prasad Singh said the sleeves were cut to protect candidates.

She didalso state to the The Guardianthat an inquiry was launched to identify who made that decision and that the school has been - for the time being - “barred from holding exams”.

Some reports claim that a notice was sent to students about correct attire beforehand.

The district is rife with reports of cheating in exams.

In February 2016, army candidates sat in their underwear to take a written exam during a recruitment day in Muzaffarpur. Authorities have already barred students from wearing shoes in exams – to prevent candidates from smuggling in paper.

H/T AFP​