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The ban on wearing hijabs in educational institutions across Karnataka will remain in place as the matter is still pending in the Supreme Court, according to the state’s School Education and Literacy Minister, Madhu Bangarappa.
Speaking to the media ahead of the upcoming SSLC examinations, Bangarappa confirmed that the existing dress code, which prohibits students from wearing hijabs, will not change.
“Since the matter is in court, we will not take any further decisions on it… What is allowed by the court (dress code) will remain,” he stated.
Origins of the Hijab Controversy
The hijab debate first surfaced in January 2022 when six students from Government PU College in Udupi were denied entry for wearing hijabs while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was in power. The incident sparked protests from Muslim students, which led to counterprotests by Hindu students wearing saffron shawls in various schools across the state.
As tensions escalated, the Karnataka government issued an order on February 5, 2022, banning religious attire in educational institutions with a prescribed uniform under the Karnataka Education Act, 1983.
The Karnataka High Court later intervened with an interim order on February 11, 2022, prohibiting all religious symbols, including hijabs and saffron shawls, in classrooms. In March 2022, the High Court ruled that wearing the hijab was not an essential practice of Islam, thus upholding the government’s ban.
The affected students challenged this decision in the Supreme Court. However, the case resulted in a split verdict and is currently under review by a larger bench.
Speculation Over Possible Review
Earlier this month, Bangarappa hinted that the Congress-led Karnataka government might reconsider the hijab ban. This statement was followed by remarks from State Home Minister G Parameshwara, who indicated that a meeting on the issue was likely to take place. However, on Friday, Bangarappa refused to comment further, citing the ongoing legal proceedings.
Changes in SSLC Examination Rules
In addition to addressing the hijab issue, Bangarappa announced changes to the SSLC examination evaluation criteria. The government has decided to return to pre-pandemic standards, requiring students to score at least 35% in all subjects to pass.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the state had temporarily reduced the passing threshold to 25% and introduced 20 grace marks to prevent mass failures. However, these relaxations have now been revoked.
“The SSLC results had fallen due to examination reforms, including web-streaming last year. Therefore, the state government had decided to enhance normalisation in the interest of students,” Bangarappa explained.
“However, this year, the qualifying marks will not be reduced for any reason, and grace marks will not be given in any subject.”
Exam Details and Security Measures
The SSLC examinations are set to take place from March 21 to April 4, with 8,96,447 students enrolled across 15,881 high schools in Karnataka. To ensure fair examinations, authorities will monitor proceedings through webcasting at 2,818 exam centers to prevent malpractices.
Similarly, student registrations for the II PU exam have also increased, with 15,238 more students enrolled compared to last year. These exams will be conducted at 1,171 centers across the state.
As the Supreme Court continues to deliberate on the hijab ban case, the government’s decision to uphold the existing dress code has sparked ongoing debates about religious expression and uniform policies in educational institutions.
