Karnataka permits hijab at exam centres, sparks row

Karnataka permits hijab at exam centres, sparks row

mangaloretoday.com

Benbgaluru, Oct 23, 2023: The Karnataka government has allowed students to wear hijab, a headscarf wrapped around the head by some Muslim women, during competitive exams. The permission has yet again reignited the debate around the subject that sparked controversy last year.

 

Pro-Hindu groups have threatened to protest against the order announced by Karnataka Higher Education Minister MC Sudhakar.

Sudhakar backed the decision permitting students to wear hijab and said people are free to dress how they want. "This is a secular country. People are free to dress however they want," he said.

He also assured the students wearing hijab would be asked to appear at the exam centre at least one hour prior to the commencement of the exam. "They (students) will be thoroughly checked. We don’t want any sort of malpractice. This is even allowed in the NEET entrance exam," he said.

Reacting to groups threatening to protest against the order, Sudhakar said, "I don’t understand the logic of these people. This is a selective protest. One cannot infringe on someone else’s rights. This is a secular country," he said.

The debate on students wearing hijab sparked a row in January, 2022 after Muslim schoolgirls at Udupi Women’s Pre-University college attended classes wearing the headscarf.