The Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan said today, Friday, May 26, that "Schools have the right to decide their uniforms". The statement came amid the controversy surrounding the question if hijab should be allowed in schools, according to a report by ANI.

"Schools have the right to decide their uniforms. They are not bringing any restriction on any individual," he said in Kaushambi in Uttar Pradesh.

He further said that hijab is recognised around the world and that schools have the right to decide on uniforms. He said it is a matter of choice and the ban curbs an individual's personal liberty.

"People are free to wear whatever they want. Schools have the right to decide on uniforms. And this right (of school management) is recognised worldwide. It (instruction of the schools regarding uniforms) should be followed. It's not a ban on any individual," says Khan.

Timeline of the hIjab ban in Karnataka

The commotion regarding the hijab reached its crescendo in the country in 2022 after the Government PU College in Udupi allegedly barred six girls wearing the hijab from entering the campus. The girl students following the imposition, protested outside the college after being denied entry.

Boys from several colleges in Udupi district started donning saffron scarves. Gradually the protest spread to other parts of the state.

The Karnataka government instructed that all students must adhere to the uniform and banned both hijab and saffron scarves till an expert committee decided on the issue.

As a result, the pre-university education board released a circular stating that the students could only wear uniform approved by the school administration and that no other religious attire would be allowed in colleges.

A bench of Karnataka High Court comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice Krishna S Dixit, and Justice JM Khazi had earlier held that the prescription of uniform is a reasonable restriction that students could not object to and dismissed various petitions challenging a ban on hijab in education institutions saying they are without merit.

But the appeal against the high court verdict is now pending in the Supreme Court. It is also reported in the media that the newly elected Congress government in Karnataka is now considering the removal of the ban on hijab in a few government educational institutions in Karnataka.