By George Kommattam
Kozhikode, March 24, 2026: Catholic organizations in Kerala have objected to the scheduling of national-level entrance examinations on Maundy Thursday and Easter Sunday, calling for an immediate reconsideration respecting Christian religious sentiments.
The Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council on March 23 urged authorities to withdraw the decision to conduct all-India engineering entrance examinations on the days that hold deep spiritual significance for Christians worldwide.
In a statement, council president Archbishop Varghese Chakkalakal of Calicut said, “Conducting examinations on sacred feast days violates the constitutional guarantee of religious freedom and places Christian students in a difficult situation.”
The council noted that such scheduling forces students to choose between their academic aspirations and participation in essential religious observances.
Council spokesperson FratherThomas Tharayil said the bishops would formally take up the issue with the federal government and the National Testing Agency, seeking a rescheduling of the examinations.
The council has decided to urge the federal government and agency to move the exams to dates that do not clash with major Christian feasts.
Echoing similar concerns, the Catholic Congress termed the decision as a challenge to the Christian minority. Its global president Rajeev Kochuparambil said, “Scheduling exams on Maundy Thursday and Easter is a serious affront to the Christian community and cannot happen without governmental oversight.”
The organization also criticized the scheduling of official programs on important religious days. Referring to training sessions conducted on Palm Sunday by the Election Commission of India, Kochuparambil said, “Holding such programs on sacred days amounts to denial of our constitutional right to practice religion freely.”
Leaders of the Catholic Congress warned that repeated insensitivity to religious observances could alienate minority communities. They emphasized that feast days are integral to Christian spiritual life and that any disruption to worship is deeply hurtful.
From the youth wing, Catholic Congress Youth Council General coordinator Shijo Idayadiyil highlighted the student perspective, saying the current schedule ignores both the faith commitments and emotional well-being of students preparing for crucial examinations, and called for the dates to be reconsidered.
The Catholic bodies have called for immediate corrective steps and urged authorities to adopt a more inclusive and sensitive approach while planning national-level examinations. They reiterated that respecting religious diversity is essential to upholding the constitutional values of equality and freedom.