In a shocking incident, a female candidate who appeared at a NEET centre in Kannur on Sunday claimed that she had to remove her top innerwear before sitting for the entrance test. Other women candidates too faced a harrowing experience due to a strict dress code in force.

The anguished candidate told media persons after attempting the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) -- conducted for admission to undergraduate medical courses in government and private medical colleges in the country -- that she was asked by the examination centre's officials to remove her innerwear.

"My daughter went inside the centre, only to return later and hand me her top innerwear," said her mother.

Another candidate, who was wearing a pair of jeans, was asked to remove a pocket as well as metal buttons from the clothing.

Her father told media: "She was wearing jeans. Since it had pockets and metal buttons, they needed to be removed. I went to a shop about three km away from the exam centre and bought a new dress for her after getting the shop opened."

Those living in the vicinity of the school where the NEET centre was set up came forward to help candidates by giving them suitable clothes to wear.

"I know of a Muslim family which gave six tops to candidates to wear. Even more shocking was the fact that authorities did not permit anyone to wear full-sleeved top. Those wearing such sleeves had to cut it to make it short-sleeved," said another harried parent.  

"The ordeal is over but it's debatable how many female candidates would have been able to write the exam properly after they were subjected to so much humiliation. I will write to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to seek action against those responsible," said state Mahila Congress President Bindhu Krishna.

The Centre Board of Secondary Education organised NEET 2017 on Sunday in as many as 104 cities across the country, for which more than 11 lakh aspirants had registered.