Why were thousands made to give 'exam in underwear': Patna HC asks MoD

The Patna High Court on Tuesday sought a response from the defence ministry over reports on the Indian Army making candidates take a written exam in their underwear in Bihar to prevent them from cheating.

The court will hear the case next on April 3.

According to a report in The Indian Express, over 1,150 candidates aspiring to join the Army were dressed only in their underwear, sitting on an open ground in Muzaffarpur on Sunday. These included candidates hoping to make it as soldiers on general duty, clerical and technical roles.

The candidates, which included around 775 candidates appearing for the general duty category, 211 candidates in clerical and 173 candidates in technical category, were not even provided with a desk to write the hour-long exam.

The candidates later told media persons that they were shocked when the Army authorities instructed them to take off their clothes and give the exam in their underwear on the field.

"As we entered Chakkar Maidan, the venue, we were asked to remove all clothes except underwear. We had no option but to comply with the instructions even though it felt odd. The gap between candidates was about eight feet in all directions," The Indian Express quoted a candidate as saying.

The daily quoted a senior army official as saying candidates being asked to strip was an "administrative lapse".

However, justifying the move, Colonel VS Godhara of the Army Regional Office said: "I am entitled to take all precautions necessary. In the past year, there have been two instances of candidates hiding cheating slips and mobile phones in their vests and undergarments."

Following the high court directive, the defence ministry has asked Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhaag to explain the matter.

With inputs from M I Khan in Patna