Supreme Court refuses immediate hearing in hijab matter

The Supreme Court on Friday turned down a plea by a group of hijab wearing students for immediate listing of their interim application for putting on headscarf during the examinations in Karnataka's Pre-University Colleges beginning next week.

"Students have already lost one year, they will lose another year," a counsel mentioned before a bench led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud.

"You have come on the last date. We will take it up after vacations (Holi)," the bench told the counsel.

The counsel pleaded that the matter was mentioned in January and February but it has not come up for hearing.

"Hijab wearing students have already lost a year because of ban. What about this academic year? Should they lose this also," the counsel asked.

To this, the CJI said, "I can't answer your questions. A bench will be constituted after Holi break."

Earlier too, the students sought hearing in the matter saying the annual examinations in Karnataka's Pre-University Colleges would begin from March 9 and they should be allowed to wear their headscarf.

The students had claimed they already shifted themselves to private colleges but they have to go to government colleges for appearing in examinations.

On October 13, 2022, the Supreme Court had given a split judgement on the validity of the Karnataka government's order of February 5, 2022 on wearing hijab in PU colleges, leaving the issue to be decided by a larger three-judge bench.

The matter arose on a batch of appeals against the March 15, 2022 judgement of the High Court, which upheld the ban.