Muzaffarpur, Mar 1 (NDTV): They came to take an exam. They were asked to take off their clothes.

In their underwear, hundreds of young men took an exam on Monday in Bihar's Muzaffarpur, for the post of clerk in the army.

Some 1,100 candidates were horrified as they reached the examination centre and were instructed to take off their clothes.

But they did. "The vest too," the examiners told them.

Army sources have been quoted by the Indian Express newspaper as saying this was done to save time on frisking so many people. Army Regional office director Colonel VS Godhara told the newspaper: "We conduct thorough frisking and ensure that candidates carry minimum external things to the exam centre."

In a state notorious for cheating - blatant and often aided by examiners and parents - officials decided that it was the best way to eliminate the possibility of scraps of paper hidden in clothes.

The candidates finally sat cross-legged on the ground in their briefs and used their thighs as tables for the one-hour test. Some complained they were cold, but they had no choice.

Last year, images of mass cheating involving Class 10 students made international headlines. Parents, relatives and others were seen scaling the walls of the exam centre to pass scraps of papers to students, unrestricted.

In January, ahead of the board exams, Bihar announced a Rs. 20,000 fine for students caught cheating and jail for relatives caught helping them. The state has also ordered CCTV cameras in classrooms, and a live stream of some exam centres.