J-K students’ body alleges hijab ban at Karnataka nursing college, university launches probe

Speaking to The Indian Express, Riyaz Basha, registrar (evaluation) at RGUHS, said, “We have already heard the submission made by the college principal and the chairman. We have called the Kashmiri students to RGUHS to hear their account, after which we will take appropriate action in line with government norms.”

According to the submissions made by the college management, the officials had only directed the removal of hijabs for identification purposes before entering the practical class.

“The college management clarified that they asked the girls to remove the hijab with a veil, for identification and verification purposes, so that there is no impersonation, before entering the practical classes. However, they were asked to wear it back later. Additionally, the burkha or hijab is not allowed at clinical postings or patient visits. Instead, students should stick to the uniforms (apron) for such purposes,” said Basha.

He added, “At the outset, RGUHS ensures there is no such discrimination on a religious basis. Rules are enforced in line with patient care and students’ interests.”

‘Kashmiri students systematically targeted, humiliated’

Nasir Khuehami, national convener of the JKSA, claimed that students had been denied entry into classrooms and practical sessions for the past several days solely because of their religious attire. “These Kashmiri female students have been systematically targeted, humiliated, and denied their fundamental right to education because they wear the burkha or abaya — an expression of modesty, dignity, and identity rooted in their religious and personal beliefs,” he said.

According to Khuehami, the college chairman entered the classroom and ordered hijab-wearing students to leave immediately. “When the students sought clarification, they were told, ‘This is our college; only our rules apply.’ The chairman and principal allegedly threatened to terminate their admissions and withhold academic records if they continued to wear the hijab,” he said.

Khuehami stated that the students were warned they would not be permitted on campus unless they removed their hijabs. He noted that there is no official or legal policy in place to enforce such a ban. Additionally, he claimed that the students were instructed to adhere to “so-called university rules” that prohibit hijabs and burqas, which he argued do not exist under law.

The college administration was also said to have justified its stance by claiming that other students had objected to the presence of hijab-wearing peers. “The chairman reportedly told the students that ‘hijab and purdah are not allowed for medical students anywhere in the country, not even in Kashmir’, and even declared that ‘no article or fundamental right is applicable in our college’,” Khuehami said, calling these remarks “absurd, Islamophobic stereotypes”.

Terming the college’s conduct a “direct and dangerous violation” of the Constitution, Khuehami said the institution had failed to uphold the rights guaranteed under Articles 25 (freedom of religion), 15 (prohibition of discrimination), and 21A (right to education). “Forcing students to choose between their faith and their education is both unconscionable and unconstitutional,” he said.

In 2022, Karnataka witnessed a hijab controversy when a government pre-university college in Udupi banned the attire inside classrooms. This led to protests by many students, and the controversy sparked counter-protests from Hindu students who wore saffron shawls. The Karnataka government then banned religious attire in institutions with mandatory dress codes, and the Karnataka High Court upheld the government order. The matter later reached the Supreme Court, which delivered a split verdict and referred it to a larger bench for a final ruling.