Karnataka PU Exams: Petitioners in hijab case enter exam halls

The state's education minister had said on Thursday that no student or invigilator will be allowed to wear hijabs inside the exam centre
The petitioners in the hijab case | Pic: Sourced
The petitioners in the hijab case | Pic: Sourced

One of the petitioners in the hijab case that took the country by storm earlier this year has just collected her hall ticket for the Pre-University Exams that kicked off today, April 22, in Karnataka. Aliya Assadi is a student of the Government PU College in Udupi that was the epicentre of the hijab controversy. A second petitioner in the case was also seen walking inside the exam centre, reported The New Indian Express.

On the eve of the exams, Karnataka's Education Minister BC Nagesh had announced that no student or invigilator will be allowed to wear hijab inside the exam centres. This comes after the judgement of the High Court, which was petitioned by six Muslim students of the Government PU College in Upudi to protect their right to attend educational institutions wearing a hijab. The High Court in its judgement had concluded that the hijab was not an essential religious practice of the Islamic faith, and therefore cannot be granted protection under Article 25 of the Indian Constitution. The judgement was challenged in the Supreme Court through a Special Leave Petition. However, the apex court had denied pleas for an urgent hearing by the petitioners, stating that the hijab had nothing to do with exams.

The High Court's order applied to students. However, BC Nagesh had said earlier this year that although the government did not bar teachers from wearing hijab inside the classrooms, educational institutions were enforcing the ban "in support of the students." 

After the verdict, the petitioners had missed their practical exams since they were not allowed inside the colleges with their hijabs. PU Board Director, R Ramachandran has said that those students who missed their practicals can still appear for the theory exams. 

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