Mon Apr 28 16:37:20 UTC 2025: ## Railway Recruitment Board Relents, Allows Religious Symbols in Nursing Exam
**Hubballi/Bengaluru, April 28, 2025** – The Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) has reversed its ban on religious symbols, including mangalsutras and janivaras, at its nursing recruitment examination following widespread criticism. The initial directive, prohibiting candidates from wearing such items, sparked controversy and accusations of religious discrimination.
The RRB’s decision came after Deputy Chief Minister and KPCC President D.K. Shivakumar criticized the ban, calling it an infringement on religious freedom. He argued that while security checks are necessary, a blanket ban on religious symbols was unwarranted.
The about-face by the RRB comes after the BJP, which had recently attacked the Congress government in Karnataka for a similar incident involving students barred from a CET exam for wearing janivaras, faced embarrassment. The party’s previous criticism of the Congress now appears inconsistent with the RRB’s initial stance.
The RRB issued a clarification modifying its instructions, stating that while certain restrictions remain in place for security reasons, candidates wearing religious symbols will be allowed into the examination hall with appropriate endorsements on their call letters. Increased invigilator vigilance for such candidates is also stipulated. This revised policy aims to alleviate concerns about religious sensitivity while maintaining exam security.
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