The Karnataka government has extended holidays for pre-university colleges till February 15. These colleges were shut from February 9 following the raging hijab row on several campuses and were slated to open on February 14.
 
The government has already ordered the closure of degree and diploma colleges till February 16. In its circular, the government said the decision has been taken as a precautionary measure to maintain law and order in the state.
 
According to sources close to Primary and Secondary Education Minister BC Nagesh, Classes IX and X will function as usual from February 14.

READ ALSO : Hijab row: When will PU and degree colleges in Karnataka reopen? Decision to be taken on Feb 14 
 
The row over hijab versus saffron scarves on the high school and college campuses in certain parts of the state had resulted in tension, untoward incidents and even taken a violent turn in some places.
 
The controversy had started towards the end of December last year when a few women students in hijab were denied entry into a government pre-university college in Udupi. As a counter, some Hindu students turned up wearing saffron scarves.
 
On January 1 this year, six Muslim girl students of the government PU college for women in Udupi attended a press conference in the coastal town held by Campus Front of India (CFI) leaders protesting against the college authorities denying them entry inside classrooms wearing hijab (headscarf).
 
This was four days after they requested the principal permission to wear hijab inside classes, which was not allowed. Till then, Muslim students used to wear hijab to the campus and enter the classroom after removing it.
 
In its interim order, the Karnataka High Court has restrained all students, regardless of their religion and faith, from wearing saffron shawls (bhagwa), scarfs, hijabs, religious flags or the like within classrooms until further orders.