The latest decision, announced in Bengaluru by education minister Madhu Bangarappa, allows limited traditional or practice-based symbols in a way that they blend with the uniform, and not dilute the purpose behind student uniform.
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The religious symbols permitted include turban, sacred threads, hijab and others. But they must not come in the way of discipline, the May 13 notification said.
In December 2023, months after assuming office, Chief minister Siddaramaiah had said he would be reversing the ban on hijab that the BJP had imposed in February 2022. Taking to social media platform X, the CM had slammed the BJP, saying the saffron party was dividing society based on clothes and caste.
Ahead of the May 2023 assembly polls, the Congress had vociferously opposed the BJP regime’s ban on wearing of hijab by Muslim girls, though reversing of the ban was not part of the Congress’ manifesto.
Also Read: Siddaramaiah hits back at Modi, accuses BJP of ‘betrayal politics’The hijab row began in Karnataka in January 2022, when six pre-university college (PUC) girls attempted to attend an examination in their college in Udupi while wearing a hijab. The college said its uniform policy did not allow the hijab, and refused to let them attend, causing widespread protests and clashes between various student groups. Some Hindu students started coming to their colleges wearing saffron scarves to protest Muslim students being allowed with hijabs.
The BJP regime then had ruled that the college was justified in its actions in not allowing hijab. In March 2022, the Karnataka high court upheld the ban, saying students could not attend college in hijabs as it was against the uniform.
