Karnataka Government Lifts Hijab Ban in Educational Institutions

The Karnataka state government has taken a historic decision by withdrawing the controversial ban on Muslim women wearing hijab in educational institutions. As a result, female students will once again be allowed to wear hijab in schools and colleges beginning from the next academic year.

According to reports by The Times of India, the state government on Wednesday officially revoked the 2022 dress code order introduced by the then Bharatiya Janata Party-led administration.

Under the revised guidelines, students will now be permitted to wear “limited religious or community symbols” along with prescribed school uniforms. These include turbans, sacred threads (janivara), shivadara, rudraksha beads, and headscarves or hijabs. The new rules will apply to government, aided, and private educational institutions across the state.

School Education and Literacy Minister Madhu Bangarappa said the policy will take effect from the upcoming academic session and will apply to institutions from Grade 1 through Grade 12 in Karnataka.

The decision comes at a politically sensitive time, as the Karnataka State Muslim Organisations Federation is set to hold a major Muslim convention in Bengaluru on Saturday. The organization is also expected to release a report evaluating the promises and performance of the ruling Congress government, including issues affecting the Muslim community such as the hijab ban.

The move has drawn sharp criticism from the BJP, which accused the government of practicing “selective secularism.” Opposition leaders alleged that the ruling Indian National Congress is reviving the hijab issue to appease its vote bank following recent political setbacks.

Referring to a recent controversy in Bengaluru where a student was allegedly forced to remove a sacred thread at a Common Entrance Test center, Bangarappa said the decision was taken in the interest of students’ rights and religious freedom.

Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao and Shivajinagar MLA Rizwan Arshad were also present during the announcement. Dinesh Gundu Rao had earlier claimed that a Bengaluru college compelled a student to remove his sacred thread.

Bangarappa stated that the government’s intention is to allow symbols of all religions and communities as long as they do not disrupt discipline within educational institutions.

BJP leaders, however, argued that the decision weakens the spirit of the 2022 Karnataka High Court ruling on school uniforms. They warned against turning educational institutions into spaces of religious polarization.

The matter remains legally unresolved after a divided verdict by a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court of India. The case is currently awaiting review by a larger bench to be constituted by the Chief Justice of India.

Defending the latest move, the Karnataka government said secularism does not mean opposition to personal faith or religious identity, but rather equal respect for all beliefs.

According to the revised order, no student can be forced to wear a religious symbol, nor can anyone be compelled to remove one if it complies with institutional rules and the prescribed uniform policy.