Hijab is not allowed in SSLC examination hall for all students including those from schools where it is part of uniform, says Minister

‘Students who have not got uniforms from govt need not worry’

Ahead of the SSLC examinations beginning from Monday, Minister for Primary and Secondary Education B.C. Nagesh has said that students wearing hijab would not be allowed to take SSLC examination irrespective of whether they are repeaters, private candidates or those from schools where hijab is part of the uniform, he has made it clear.

“Even if the Hijab is part of the uniform as prescribed in some schools, the students have to take the examination without wearing the headscarf. The notification we issued earlier this year clearly stated that no cloth that represents religious identity can be part of the uniform. The same has been upheld by the court”, the minister told The Hindu on Sunday over phone.

The same rule applied to private candidates and the repeaters as well. “No confusion on this issue. The government’s notification and the court order are clear. The matter went to the Supreme Court too, where the matter was not taken up for hearing even though the petitioners mentioned that exams were approaching”, the minister.

The State Government, on Friday, had issued a circular making uniform compulsory for students appearing for the SSLC examinations. This had created confusion among many students and parents. The government had not distributed uniform to its students in many schools.

The minister said, “Uniform is compulsory for those whom we have prescribed the uniform and distributed the cloth. Wherever the uniform is not distributed, we cannot expect the students to come wearing it. We have given oral instructions to Deputy Directors of Public Instructions on this issue”.

Further, on the Hijab issue, the minister said among 84,000 Muslim students only 500-600 had been making it an issue. “A large section of students has been following the rule. Only a few are opposing. Let us see the positive side of the development”, he added.

As many as 8,73,846 students are taking the exam at 3,444 centres across the state. Among them, As many as 8,20,888 are fresh candidates, 46,200 are private fresh candidates, 4,618 are repeaters, 1,253 are private repeaters, 809 are repeaters and 78 are private repeaters in the new scheme. The department is conducting the exam in 45,289 classrooms, which would be monitored by 3,444 chief superintendents and supporting staff members that include 49,817 room supervisors. CCTC cameras have been installed in all examination centres.