Chandigarh, January 20 — The Haryana government has issued detailed guidelines to address difficulties faced by Sikh students and married women candidates during examinations conducted by schools, colleges, universities and various recruitment agencies across the state.
According to a notification issued by the Chief Secretary’s Office, Sikh students and candidates appearing in examinations will be permitted to wear and carry a kirpan, provided it conforms to prescribed standards. The total length of the kirpan must not exceed nine inches, while the blade length should be within six inches.
The notification advises such candidates to report to the examination centre at least one hour before the scheduled time to ensure that necessary security checks and formalities are completed smoothly.
The guidelines also clarify that married women candidates will be allowed to wear a mangalsutra during examinations. They have been instructed to reach the examination centre at least 30 minutes prior to the reporting time so that required procedures can be carried out without disruption.
The government stated that the decision has been taken in light of various rulings of the Delhi High Court and the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which emphasise the protection of religious and cultural rights while ensuring the fair and orderly conduct of examinations.
All administrative secretaries have been directed to issue necessary instructions to departments, boards, corporations, universities and recruitment agencies under their control. The aim is to ensure that officials, supervisors and security personnel deployed at examination centres are fully aware of these guidelines, so that candidates do not face any unnecessary inconvenience.
