Letter to Rajasthan CM and District Officials regarding Denial of entry to a REET candidate in Kota for wearing Hijab — request for urgent intervention, enquiry and relief

Jan 18, 2026
By PUCL Rajasthan

To, 

(i) Hon’ble Chief Minister, Government of Rajasthan

(ii) CC: District Collector, Kota

(iii) CC: District Education Officer (DEO), Kota

Sir,

This is to bring to your urgent attention a serious and deeply concerning incident reported from Kota, Rajasthan. As per the information received, Ms. Alisha, a candidate appearing for the REET Mains Level-2 examination, was denied entry to the examination centre solely because she was wearing a Hijab. The incident reportedly took place at Tilak School, Sector-3, Mahaveer Nagar Extension, Kota (Rajasthan). The examination was scheduled from 3:00 PM to 5:30 PM.

This incident has not only caused grave harm to the candidate’s future prospects, but also represents an apparent violation of the fundamental principles of constitutional equality, dignity, freedom of religion, and non-discrimination.

Competitive examinations must be conducted in a fair, transparent and rule-based manner, consistent with basic human dignity. If any identity verification or security checks are required, the same can and must be carried out respectfully and without humiliation. 

However, denying entry on the basis of religious attire is unacceptable.

We therefore request your immediate intervention and directions to ensure the following:

  1. Immediate relief be provided to the candidate, as she has missed the examination, and a fair remedial arrangement / appropriate alternative solution be ensured.
  2. An urgent enquiry be conducted into the role and actions of the staff/officials deployed at the centre, and strict action be taken against those found responsible.
  3. Clear directions be issued to the district administration, education department and REET authorities that no candidate should be discriminated against or denied entry at any examination centre on the basis of Hijab or any other religious/cultural attire.
  4. A written Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)/instructions be issued for all examination centres to ensure that security checks and identity verification are carried out in a manner that is constitutional, respectful and gender-sensitive.

The candidate must be provided a written update regarding the enquiry and action taken.

Details of the Candidate:

Name: Alisha
Father’s Name: Barkattulla Khan
Address: Sanwatgarh, Hindoli, Bundi (Rajasthan)
Examination: REET Mains Level-2
Time: 3:00 PM – 5:30 PM
Examination Centre: Tilak School, Sector-3, Mahaveer Nagar Extension, Kota, Rajasthan

Issue reported: “Denied entry due to Hijab”

We trust that the Government of Rajasthan will treat this incident with the seriousness it warrants and take prompt measures to uphold constitutional values and ensure equal opportunity for all candidates.

Sincerely,

Bhanwar Meghwanshi (President) | +91 95710 47777

Mamta Jaitly (Vice President) | +91 96022 26826

Anant Bhatnagar | +91 98180 52917