A 27-year-old student studying Bachelors in Library Sciences through Distance Education in Madurai Kamaraj University was denied permission to write the examination on Monday as he came in dhoti .
After a delay of nearly one hour, senior officials from the university, however, intervened and allowed him to write the examination by providing additional time.
The student R. Kannan from Kallanai near Tirumagalam, who had registered for the course through a private academic centre partnering with MKU, told the media that he was warned by the supervisors at the examination centre on Tamil Nadu Theological Seminary (TTS) premises for coming in dhoti during the first three examinations that happened last week.
“However, I did not change to pants since I come from a village and dhoti is what I always wear. On Monday, they denied permission,” he said.
V. Kalaiselvan, Director of Distance Education (in-charge), MKU, said that he and other senior officials got the news through media and intervened immediately as per the instructions of the Vice-Chancellor.
“There is no rule that a person cannot write examination in dhoti, which is our traditional dress. I visited the centre immediately and ensured that the student wrote the examination,” he said.
Officials from TTS said that they had nothing to do with the issue since they had only made the premises available for conducting the exam to MKU and the private academic centre partnering with the university for distance education.
A. Ramu, Additional Controller of Examination (in-charge), MKU, clarified that the objection was made by a university faculty member, who was deputed at the centre to monitor the conduct of examination.
