Students can wear hijab while taking their exams, Siddaramaiah, chief minister, Karnataka and MC Sudhakar, state education minister, announced during a progress review meeting. “Some individuals are deliberately attempting to stir controversy regarding wearing a hijab during exams, and I want to make it clear that there are those who seek only to sow confusion. I have taken steps to ensure everyone’s freedom. Confirming that wearing a Hijab during the NEET exam is allowed,” Sudhakar explained, according to an official statement.
Sudhakar emphasised that examinees were free to wear the clothing of their choice while taking their exams. The Hijab dispute first erupted in January 2022 when government PU College in Udupi reportedly denied entry to six girls wearing Hijabs, sparking protests by these girls outside the college, as per the statement.
In response, male students from various colleges in Udupi began attending classes while donning saffron scarves. This protest subsequently spread to other parts of the state, resulting in demonstrations and unrest in multiple locations across Karnataka, it added.
With inputs from ANI.