Karnataka walks back on school hijab ban, students can wear limited faith symbols
Students in Karnataka are now allowed to wear religious or faith-based symbols provided they complement the uniform do not replace it or undermine its purpose.
Students wearing burqa protest against the Karnataka High Court's verdict on hijab in 2022 (PTI, file photo) Four years after the then BJP-led government banned the wearing of headscarves including the hijab in government and government-aided education institutions in the state, the Karnataka government Wednesday withdrew the order, and allowed students to wear limited religious or faith-based symbols along with the prescribed uniform.
The February 5, 2022 order had led to protests and heightened communal tensions in several parts of Karnataka. As the row escalated, the matter went to the courts. While the Karnataka High Court upheld the ban order, a Supreme Court bench delivered a split verdict and asked that the matter be referred to a larger bench.
On Wednesday, Karnataka School Education and Literacy Minister Madhu Bangarappa said the 2022 order related to religious attire in education institutions had been withdrawn, and a new order would allow students to wear “limited traditional and practice-based symbols” along with the prescribed uniform.
Citing an incident in which three students, appearing for the Karnataka Common Entrance Test (CET) on April 23, were made to remove the sacred thread (janeu/yajnopaveetha), Bangarappa said that while education is the prime focus, students will be allowed to practise their religious identity and there should be no discrimination.
Asked if there was a demand for a new dress code, he said there were demands and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had directed that these be looked into.
The new rules, he said, are intended to respect all religions and castes, ensuring “when children come to school for education, they don’t face any kind of hardship.”
The new order mandates that all government schools, aided institutions, private schools, and pre-university colleges continue to prescribe and enforce uniforms. However, it now permits students to wear limited religious or faith-based symbols in addition to the prescribed uniform, provided such symbols complement the uniform and do not replace, alter or undermine its purpose.
The order specifically lists symbols that students are commonly known to wear, including the peta or turban, janivara or sacred thread, Shivadara, Rudrakshi, headscarf or hijab, and other similar religious or faith-based markers, stating that these shall be permitted. It, however, adds that these must not pose a threat to discipline, safety, or student identification.
The order states that no student shall be denied admission, academic progress, examination access or participation in any educational activity solely on the grounds of wearing such religious symbols. Equally, no student shall be compelled to wear any such symbol.
State Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said the aim of the new order was to stop discouraging children from practising their religion. “Won’t the children feel hurt when they are asked to remove the kumkuma, hijab or a turban? It is to put an end to discrimination,” he said.
School Development and Monitoring Committees (SDMCs), College Development Committees (CDCs), and institution heads have been directed to prevent any discriminatory or humiliating behaviour.
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