VHP objects to Railway Recruitment Board’s instructions to remove ‘mangalasutra, religious symbols’ to appear for Nursing Superintendent examination

VHP objects to RRB Bengaluru banning religious symbols for Nursing Superintendent exam, sparking controversy over religious sentiments.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has objected to Railway Recruitment Board (RRB), Bengaluru, banning ‘mangala sutra and religious symbols’ to appear for its Nursing Superintendent examination.

Sharan Kumar Pumpwell, South Karnataka Joint Secretary, VHP, in a social media post said on Sunday (April 27, 2025) that in the instructions to candidates appearing for the examination, as mentioned in the admission letter, the RRB said that ‘bangles, religious symbols, ornaments, mangala sutra’ will be among other materials (which have been specified) that “are not allowed inside the test centre.”

In his post Mr. Pumpwell interpreted that ‘religious symbols’ also included ‘janivara’ (‘sacred thread’). “Such an anti-religious stand is not tolerable,” Mr. Pumpwell said.

The Joint Secretary appealed to Dakshina Kannada MP Captain Brijesh Chowta and Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner M.P. Mullai Muhilan to intervene and allow candidates to appear for the examination without hurting their religious sentiments.

The examination in Mangaluru will be held on April 29 at Manel Srinivas Nayak Institute of Management at Bondel, he said.

Meanwhile, in a release on Sunday here, the VHP said that students had been made to remove their ‘janivara’ in the recently held Common Entrance Test (CET) in Karnataka, which had hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus.

Now, making Hindu women to remove their ‘mangala sutra’ and wipe out their ‘sindhura’, and men to remove their ‘janivara’ to appear for the RRB’s Nursing Superintendent Examination will again hit the religious sentiments of Hindus. Such instructions to candidates is not correct, Mr. Pumpwell said.