Nine students in Kaup return without appearing for exams

Nine Muslim girl students returned home without writing their examinations on Wednesday, after their demand to be allowed to wear hijab inside the classroom at Government First Grade College in Kaup was rejected.

College Principal Dr Anil Kumar had asked students to remove headscarves while entering classrooms to write their internal examinations.

Dr Anil Kumar said students were informed about the High Court’s verdict.

As they stood their ground on wearing headscarves, permission had been denied, he said.

Among 17 Muslim girls studying in the college, four of them obeyed the court order and wrote the exams, said the principal.

Rizana and Shehnaz studying in the college asserted that they want both education and hijab.

Hijab was not an issue in any educational institution, they said.

They also regretted that they were not able to write their examinations.

In Government PU College in Udupi, where the hijab controversy first erupted in December 2021, many students attended the classes by removing their headscarves. Over 40 Muslim students including six girls who had approached the High Court remained absent.

A majority of the Muslim students in schools and colleges in Kundapura and Byndoor remained absent.

A handful of students attended classes at Government PU College and R N Shetty PU College in Kundapura.

Students wearing hijab were sent back by a college in Basrur.

A few students boycotted classes in Gangolli. The attendance of Muslim male students was low at colleges in Byndoor, Navunda, Kambadakone and Uppunda in the Udupi district, according to sources.

DC appeals to parents to allow colleges to run smoothly

Udupi Deputy Commissioner M Kurma Rao visited the Government Women’s PU College on Wednesday.

He told reporters that prohibitory orders were enforced in and around the college.

He said there have been no reports of unrest on campuses across the district. Colleges and schools functioned as before.

These days, colleges and schools have nearly 91% attendance, he said and appealed to parents and students to maintain peace and allow educational institutions to run smoothly.