The Supreme Court turned down a plea, Thursday, to immediately list a plea seeking permission to allow hijab-clad students to appear at the annual examinations in Karnataka’s pre-university colleges. A woman lawyer mentioned the matter before a bench headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud. The lawyer submitted that exams are scheduled for March 9.
However, the Apex court assured setting up a three-judge bench to hear a plea of Muslim girl students to sit for examinations in Karnataka government schools while wearing hijab.
The examinations are scheduled to be held onwards March 9, the lawyer said, adding, “They have missed one year. They will miss another year.” On being told by the bench that the matter “was listed only last minute before the vacation,” the lawyer stated it has been mentioned twice earlier. She reminded the court that the matter was last mentioned for urgent hearing by lawyer Shadan Farasat on behalf of the students on February 22.
Following the Apex court’s split verdict on the issue of ban on sporting the Islamic headscarf in educational institutions in Karnataka, girls in hijab are not being permitted to take the exams scheduled to begin from March 9, the bench was told.
On March 15, 2022, the high court had dismissed the petitions filed by a section of Muslim students of the Government Pre-University Girls College in Karnataka’s Udupi seeking permission to wear the hijab inside classrooms, ruling it is not a part of the essential religious practice in the Islamic faith.
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