This archive report was first published on 23 December 2019.
December 23, 2019, marked a day when the Indian Army's recruitment exam process took an unusual turn in the state of Bihar. In an attempt to prevent cheating, over 1,000 candidates were asked to strip to their underwear and take the test outdoors.
Images published by Indian media show the naked men in an open field trying to complete the test by holding the sheets of paper on their thighs or on the ground, under the watchful eyes of uniformed supervisors.
According to 21-year-old Harishambhu Kumar, who was among the candidates, they were frisked and then ushered into an enclosure before being asked to remove all clothes except their underwear. Kumar stated, 'We were frisked and then ushered into an enclosure. Then the army officers asked us to remove all clothes except our underwear.' He added, 'I felt awkward, but the army people told us it was to check cheating, so I got used to it.'
The bizarre army recruitment exam has drawn criticism from the state's high court, which has sought an explanation from India's Ministry of Defense after a lawyer filed a petition against the army. Lawyer Dinu Kumar described the incident as 'simply bizarre,' stating, 'Those who showed reluctance to remove their clothes were asked to leave. It was insulting.'
Colonel V S Godhra, director of the Army Regional Office in Muzaffarpur, defended the decision, saying that the over 1,000 candidates were asked to strip to their underwear and sit in an open field to prevent them from hiding any cheat sheets in their clothes or under the desks and chairs. He stated, '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.'
The incident has sparked outrage, with many questioning the morality and effectiveness of the army's recruitment exam process. Bihar is famous for having a big cheating problem during important exams, with local police arresting around 1,000 aspiring officers last year who admitted to having paid other individuals to take the exams in their place.
