There were teenage girls in Karnataka who were stopped from getting an education in a government institution for wearing an extra piece of cloth – the hijab. The restriction was challenged.  The matter came before the highest court of the land – the sentinel on the qui vive, as it calls itself. Eleven days of passionate arguments and a split verdict came. The matter awaits its listing after almost a year from the judgment. https://thewire.in/law/two-hijab-cases-one-lesson 

 another Indian state, this time a private minority institution, again the issue of uniform and hijab. The court order, interestingly, but unsurprisingly, is vastly different. 

The order records the prosecution story of how a private minority institution in Damoh, Madhya Pradesh, has a uniform of shalwar-qameez and hijab for girls students, and non-Muslim students are not being allowed to put tilak and tie kalawa. Urdu is being taught as a compulsory subject.

The parents of non-Muslim students denied claims of religious symbols being forced on their children. 

The state government promptly suspended the license of the private school.

In Karnataka, the latter part of 2021 and 2022 witnessed strong protests by young Muslim women and the Muslim community at large against the restriction on hijab. With the state government and judiciary supporting the restriction, the state of Karnataka witnessed a steep dropout rate of Muslim women from government institutions and pre-university colleges. Those who could afford, opted for private institutions to continue their studies, others vanished from the face of educational statistics.

by Nabeela Jamil

13/09/2023

Category: Hijab and Education

Young Muslim women in Karnataka recount how a court order legitimised Hindutva prejudice and locked them out of an education.

https://scroll.in/article/1041529/one-year-of-karnatakas-war-on-muslim-womens-right-to-learn 

Following the high court verdict, the college authorities told Sayed that she would be allowed into class only if she removed her hijab. “I tried to convince them several times,” she said. “But they just would not listen.” A few weeks later, Sayed was back at home, doing household chores and taking care of her son. It had already been a struggle to convince her in-laws to allow her to go out to pursue an education; she did not feel up to the challenge of persuading them to let her study without a hijab.

While Muslims across India have long had low access to education, those in Karnataka have struggled particularly hard for it. A government survey released in 2013 found that of all states, Karnataka had the highest dropout rate of Muslim school students between classes 1 and 8, at 6.3%. The survey also found that among all the Muslim students in India in the upper primary stage who dropped out of school that year, 73.9% were from Karnataka.

by Johanna Deeksha

11/01/2023

Category: Hijab and Education

https://www.rediff.com/news/report/hijab-ban-to-continue-in-ktaka-education-minister/20221013.htm 

"The Karnataka high xourt order will remain valid. Hence, in all our schools and colleges Karnataka education act and rule, there will be no scope for any religious symbols. So our schools and colleges will run as per the Karnataka high court order. Children will have to come to the schools accordingly," Nagesh said.

"The ban on hijab will continue. As you know that the Karnataka Education Act and Rule does not permit any religious items inside the class. So we are very clear that no student can wear hijab inside the class," Nagesh explained.

edited by Hemant Vaje

Twists and turns in the Karnataka hijab ban case 

https://www.rediff.com/news/report/twists-and-turns-in-the-karnataka-hijab-ban-case/20221013.htm 

13/10/2022

Category: Hijab and Education

Bringing attention of the court to the widespread misinterpretation of the interim order passed on 11/2/2022 (in WP 2347/2022 and connected matters) and the subsequent violations of fundamental rights of Muslim girls and women..the order has been construed as an effective ban on the hijab across the state in all educational institutions. It has been heard that oral instructions have been issued by district administrations forbidding the hijab in all government and aided schools and colleges. News channels are taking on the mandate to “implement” your order and are entering classrooms, repeatedly flashing faces of minor students wearing the hijab, stating that the minor students do not “care” about the interim order - Bahutva Karnataka

Category: Hijab and Education

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