Karnataka govt has not taken any decision on Hijab issue: Karnataka Minister Madhu Bangarappa

Bengaluru: Pointing out that the case on the right of students to wear the ‘Hijab’ to educational institutions was pending before the Supreme Court, Karnataka Minister for School Education and Literacy Madhu Bangarappa on Monday said that the Congress government had not taken any decision on the issue.

Madhu said that he would be able to provide more clarity on the issue after discussing it with Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara.

However, Madhu’s remarks have done little to clear the confusion among teachers and principals of educational institutions. “Given that the examinations are around the corner, we expect more clarity from the government on this issue to prevent last-minute problems on the day of the exam,” said the headmaster of a Bengaluru government school.

A two-judge bench of the Supreme Court delivered a split verdict on the case, necessitating it to be heard before a larger bench of the country’s apex court.

The issue dates back to 2022, when women students from the Muslim community were barred from wearing the Hijab to their PU college in Udupi. This prompted the government to constitute a committee to look into the issue. The government also issued guidelines to ensure uniformity among students.

The guidelines called on students to don the uniform prescribed by their respective educational institutions, which was opposed by a section of students, who proceeded to challenge them in the High Court. When the High Court upheld the government’s guidelines, the verdict was challenged in the Supreme Court.

‘Sort out issues of schools soon’

Madhu Bangarappa, meanwhile, instructed the Principal Secretary of the Department of School Education and Literacy to resolve some of issues of those schools that have run into problems with the Revenue Department. He directed the official to sort out all issues within the next six months.

“I cannot close down schools and trouble students. There are problems with certificates that they need to obtain from various departments. We’re also trying to sort it out, and we’ll clear it soon,” said the minister.