Karnataka Govt allows Muslim girl students to wear hijab during exams

NEW DELHI: The Karnataka government has allowed Muslim students to wear hijab during competitive exams. "This is a secular country. People are free to dress however they want," he told India Today.

The state education minister MC Sudhakar said that such students should reach the exam centre one hour before the commencement of the exam for frisking. "They (students) will be thoroughly checked. We don't want any sort of malpractice. This is even allowed in the NEET entrance exam," the report quoted the minister.

The Karnataka Hijab row started after Pre-University College, Udupi denied entry to students wearing hijab inside classrooms in early 2022. The state government had banned wearing clothes which “disturb equality, integrity and public order in schools and colleges”, which was later challenged in the high court.

On March 15, the Karnataka High Court in its order said hijab it is not a part of essential religious practice in Islamic faith.

The statement has once again sparked controversy. Reacting to the opposition, the minister said, “I don't understand the logic of these people. This is a selective protest. One cannot infringe on someone else's rights. This is a secular country.”

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The report titled ‘Closing the Gates to Education Violations of rights of Muslim women students in Karnataka’ released by PUCL, Karnataka early this year said that Muslim girl students were harassed, humiliated and faced violation of fundamental rights.

In October 2022, the Supreme Court delivered a split verdict and the matter was referred to the Chief Justice of India for setting up a larger bench to hear the plea against the hijab ban.