NEET re-exam row in Ahmedabad: Hijab dispute sparks tension at Vastrapur centre
Synopsis
A hijab screening at an Ahmedabad NEET re-exam centre on 21 June set off a chain reaction — a mother's objection, an exception granted, rival religious groups gathering outside, and a minor scuffle. The episode cuts to a recurring fault line in Indian public examinations: who decides where security protocol ends and religious accommodation begins.
Key Takeaways
A dispute over hijab screening at R.J.
Tibrewal Commerce College , Vastrapur, Ahmedabad , triggered tensions on 21 June during the NEET re-examination .
The female candidate was initially asked to remove her hijab during frisking; after discussions, she was allowed to re-enter wearing it.
Other parents alleged uneven enforcement, citing that students wearing Hindu religious symbols (kalava, kanthi, bracelets) were asked to remove them.
Members of Bajrang Dal and AIMIM gathered outside; a minor scuffle was reported before police intervened.
ACP Jayesh Bhrambhatt confirmed the situation was brought under control and the examination continued without disruption inside.
Gujarat conducted the NEET re-exam at 211 centres; nationally, more than 20 lakh candidates appeared.
A dispute over dress code enforcement at a NEET re-examination centre in Ahmedabad on Sunday, 21 June triggered brief but heated confrontations outside the venue, drawing members of political and religious organisations before police restored order. The incident unfolded at R.J. Tibrewal Commerce College in the Vastrapur area, one of 211 designated NEET re-examination centres across Gujarat.
How the Dispute Began
The flashpoint was the security screening of a female candidate wearing a hijab. According to officials and eyewitness accounts, the garment was temporarily removed during the multi-layer frisking process. The candidate's mother objected, demanding that her daughter be permitted to sit the examination in the religious attire.
Following discussions involving the college principal, examination staff, and police personnel, the candidate was allowed to re-enter the centre wearing the hijab. Entry procedures at the centre ran between 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., with the examination commencing at 2 p.m.
Objections Over Uneven Rule Application
The decision to allow the hijab-wearing candidate back inside prompted immediate objections from other parents at the venue. They alleged that students wearing Hindu religious symbols — including sacred threads (kalava), necklaces (kanthi), and bracelets — had been asked to remove those items during frisking, and questioned why exceptions were being made in other cases.
As word of the dispute spread, protests gathered momentum outside the centre. Members associated with Bajrang Dal and individuals linked to AIMIM arrived at the premises, and reports indicate a minor scuffle broke out before police intervened.
Police Response and Crowd Control
Senior officers, including Assistant Commissioner of Police (A Division) Jayesh Bhrambhatt, reached the spot and supervised crowd control measures. Several individuals were removed from the premises for violating public order.
'Members from different organisations had gathered at the centre, and the situation was brought under control after intervention. Students were required to remove certain religious items during checks as part of standard procedure, and those objecting were counselled by officials,' ACP Bhrambhatt said.
He confirmed that the candidate in question was allowed to proceed with the examination and that the environment had been stabilised.
Exam Continues Without Disruption Inside
Authorities confirmed that despite the tension outside, the examination continued without disruption inside the centre. Security arrangements for the re-exam were tightened statewide, with multi-layer frisking, identity verification, and strict enforcement of guidelines issued by the National Testing Agency (NTA).
The NEET re-examination was conducted nationally following controversy over alleged paper leaks in a prior sitting. Across India, the test is administered to more than 20 lakh candidates at hundreds of centres, with strict protocols governing permitted items and frisking procedures.
Calls for Calm
Police have appealed to the public to maintain calm and avoid circulating unverified claims on social media, stressing that law and order was maintained throughout the conduct of the examination at the Ahmedabad centre. The broader question of uniform enforcement of dress code rules at examination venues is likely to remain a point of public debate in the days ahead.
Point of View
Not managing religious accommodation, and that gap is precisely where confrontations like this one emerge. What made Sunday's episode combustible was not the hijab itself but the perception of selective enforcement — and in a charged post-paper-leak environment, that perception spread fast enough to draw organised groups to a college gate. Until the NTA issues explicit, religion-neutral guidelines that are applied identically at every centre and communicated to candidates in advance, these incidents will recur.
NationPress
21 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened at the NEET re-examination centre in Ahmedabad on 21 June?
A dispute over hijab screening at R.J. Tibrewal Commerce College in Vastrapur, Ahmedabad, triggered protests and a minor scuffle outside the venue on 21 June. A female candidate was initially asked to remove her hijab during security frisking; after discussions with college and police officials, she was allowed to re-enter wearing it. Other parents alleged this amounted to uneven enforcement of rules.
Why did other parents object to the decision to allow the hijab inside?
Parents alleged that students wearing Hindu religious symbols — including sacred threads (kalava), necklaces (kanthi), and bracelets — had been required to remove those items during frisking. They questioned why an exception was made for the hijab-wearing candidate, calling for uniform application of the dress code rules.
Which groups gathered outside the Ahmedabad NEET centre?
Members associated with Bajrang Dal and individuals linked to AIMIM arrived at the premises as the dispute escalated. A minor scuffle was reported before police, led by ACP Jayesh Bhrambhatt, intervened and restored order.
Was the NEET examination disrupted at the Ahmedabad centre?
No. Authorities confirmed that despite the tension outside, the examination continued without disruption inside R.J. Tibrewal Commerce College. The candidate at the centre of the dispute was allowed to sit the exam.
Why was the NEET re-examination held in the first place?
The NEET re-examination was conducted nationally following controversy over alleged paper leaks in a previous sitting. Gujarat alone held the re-exam at 211 centres, with heightened security measures including multi-layer frisking and strict NTA guidelines to ensure examination integrity.
