Jaipur: The Rajasthan government has reiterated that Sikh students must be permitted to appear in competitive examinations while wearing religious symbols such as the kirpan, kada, and turban (pagdi).
A fresh directive was issued on July 29 following widespread outrage over an incident in which a Sikh girl was barred from appearing for the Rajasthan High Court Civil Judge examination for wearing a kirpan.
The government order referred to a 2019 circular issued by the previous Congress-led administration, which had instructed authorities to allow Sikh candidates to wear religious symbols during exams conducted by the Rajasthan Public Service Commission and the Staff Selection Board.
The controversy arose after Gurpreet Kaur, a candidate from Punjab’s Tarn Taran district, posted a video on social media alleging that she was denied entry to the judicial service exam in Jaipur on July 27 due to her wearing a kirpan (gatra).
