Amid the controversy surrounding the permissibility of wearing Hijab in schools, Arif Mohammed Khan, the governor of Kerala, stated that schools have the authority to determine their uniform policies. He emphasised that these decisions do not impose any restrictions on individuals. “They are not bringing any restriction on any individual. Schools possess the authority to establish uniform regulations, a right acknowledged globally,” he said. It is important to adhere to the instructions regarding uniforms set by the schools. It should be noted that these instructions are not intended to impose a ban on any individual, he added.
In January 2022, a controversy regarding the hijab row in the country when six girls wearing hijab were reportedly denied entry to the government PU College in Udupi. In response, the girls staged a protest outside the college premises, expressing their dissatisfaction with being barred from entering. Male students from various colleges in Udupi began attending classes while wearing saffron scarves. This protest soon spread to other parts of Karnataka, triggering demonstrations and unrest in several locations.
Consequently, the Karnataka government took a stance by announcing that all students must follow the prescribed uniform and temporarily banned both hijabs and saffron scarves until an expert committee could make a decision on the matter. On February 5, the pre-University education board issued a circular stating that students were only permitted to wear the officially approved uniform as determined by the school administration, prohibiting the use of any other religious attire in colleges.
With inputs from ANI.
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