"Examinations Have Nothing To Do With Hijab": What SC Said Rejecting Plea For Early Hearing

The Supreme Court said that exams have nothing to do with Hijab while hearing the mentioning of a plea seeking urgent hearing on a petition challenging the ban on sporting Hijab in educational institutes.

"Examinations have nothing to do with the issue (hijab). Do not sensationalise (the issue)," CJI NV Ramana said while refusing to fix a date for hearing on the appeals filed by Aishat Shifa, a student of Government PU College at Kundapura in Udupi district against the Karnataka High Court order.

AFP

What the plea said

Shifa had sought permission to write the exams commencing from March 28 wearing the headscarf of the same colour as the school uniform.

Shifa said she had absolutely no objection in wearing the prescribed uniform, but is seeking to wear a hijab matching in colour with the uniforms "to make it compatible with her religious beliefs".

Earlier, following the Karnataka High Court order that banned the wearing of Hijabs in educational institutions, many Muslim students had refused to appear for the exams.

BCCL

Earlier this week, Karnataka Minister for Primary and Secondary Education BC Nagesh had ruled out holding re-exams for those who skipped them and said there is no such system for absentees.

He said exams are competitive in nature and there cannot be humanitarian consideration for absentees.

"Whatever the Court has said, we will abide by it. Being absent from exams will only be the prime factor and not the reason, whether it may be because of hijab row or ill-health or inability to attend or for not having studied. In the final exam- absent means absent- repeat exams cannot be held," Nagesh said on Monday.

BCCL

On Thursday, Deputy Leader of Congress in Karnataka Assembly UT Khader urged the state government to consider allowing students to take exams wearing hijabs of the same colour as their uniform.

While addressing the assembly during the ongoing legislative session, UT Khader requested Higher Education Minister Dr CN Ashwath Narayana and primary Education Minister B Nagesh to consider the request and allow students to write the exam stating that the exams are very important for the future of those girls.

BCCL

Congress Legislative Party leader Siddaramaiah also demanded the state government allow girls to write exams.

On March 15, the Karnataka HC had ruled that Hijab was not an essential religious practice and that the prescription of uniform is a reasonable restriction on fundamental rights.

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