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3d ago

Rajasthan Reaffirms Sikh Candidates’ Right to Wear Religious Symbols in Exams

Under the order, Sikh candidates must arrive an hour early for security screening to verify that kirpans contain no prohibited items

The incident sparked outrage among several Sikh organisations and candidates. (Representative photo)
President of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), Harjinder Singh Dhami, appealed to the Rajasthan chief minister to make special arrangements to allow Sikh candidates, who were unjustly barred from the exam, an opportunity to reappear in the exam. (HT File)
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Overview

  • The government’s fresh directive invokes a December 2019 circular and a Delhi High Court ruling to permit kakkars such as kirpans, kada and pagdi in Rajasthan’s competitive exams.
  • Additional Chief Secretary Bhaskar A Sawant highlighted repeated compliance failures and echoed community anger while mandating strict adherence to the existing policy.
  • Sikh bodies including the SGPC and Sri Akal Takht, led by Harjinder Singh Dhami and Giani Kuldip Singh Gargaj, demand re-examination opportunities for Gurpreet Kaur and other candidates barred for wearing kirpans.
  • BJP MLA Gurveer Singh praised the Sharma administration’s clear stance on Sikh religious rights and urged students to uphold the sanctity of their articles during screenings.
  • Community leaders are urging New Delhi to issue uniform guidelines to ensure consistent respect for Sikh articles of faith across all Indian states.