Karnataka reverses Hijab ban: What does new order say
What's the story
The Karnataka government on Wednesday withdrew a controversial 2022 order banning the hijab and other religious symbols in schools. The new directive by the Department of School Education and Literacy now allows students to wear limited traditional and faith-based symbols such as the hijab, turban (Pete), sacred thread (Janivara), Shivadara, and Rudraksha, among others, with their uniforms. The earlier order had mandated strict adherence to prescribed uniforms in aided and private schools and pre-university colleges.
Directive details
Students can't be forced to wear/remove religious symbols
The new government order states that students can't be forced to wear or remove religious symbols allowed under the directive. It stresses that educational institutions were spaces intended to promote "scientific temper, rationality, equality, dignity, fraternity, discipline, mutual respect, social harmony, and the responsibilities of our constitutional democracy." It added, "Secularism in a constitutional sense is not an opposition to personal beliefs; rather, it is the giving of equal respect to all, institutional impartiality, and non-discriminatory behavior."
Legal history
Earlier order issued amid hijab row
The earlier order was issued by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government amid a nationwide controversy over hijabs. The issue first erupted in January 2022 at a pre-university college in Udupi, where Muslim students were denied entry for wearing hijabs. The Karnataka High Court also later upheld the government's position in March 2022, ruling that wearing a hijab wasn't an essential religious practice in Islam.
Court proceedings
Case reached Supreme Court; verdict awaited
The case reached the Supreme Court, where a split verdict was delivered in October 2022. One judge upheld restrictions while another favored petitioners. The matter was referred to a larger bench and remains pending. The Congress party, which was in the opposition at the time, had opposed these restrictions and promised to revisit them if elected.
Order specifics
What else is allowed under new order?
The new order also prohibits institutions from barring students from entry to the "classroom, examination hall, or academic activities for the reason of wearing such limited traditional and practice-based symbols with the prescribed uniform." The government clarified that uniforms remain mandatory but religious symbols shouldn't change the uniform's basic character. Any circular or instruction inconsistent with the new order will be treated as void by authorities.