Hijab row: PIL in Supreme Court seeks implementation of common dress code for equality, national integration
The Hindu
“It is very essential to introduce a Common Dress Code in all schools-colleges to preserve the secular character of educational institutions,” the PIL said
A PIL was filed in the Supreme Court on February 12 in the wake of the Karnataka ‘hijab’ row and it seeks a direction to the Centre, States and Union Territories to implement a common dress code for staffers and students in registered educational institutions for securing equality and promoting fraternity and national integration.
On Friday, other cases pertaining to the ‘hijab’ controversy were mentioned for urgent hearing before the top court, which took note of the pendency before the three-judge Bench in the Karnataka High Court, and said it would protect the Constitutional rights of every citizen and take up cases at an “appropriate time”.
The High Court, in an interim order, meanwhile, asked the State Government to reopen educational institutions and restrained students from wearing saffron shawls, scarves, hijab and any religious flag within the classroom in institutions which have prescribed a student dress code or uniform.
The Shakti Scheme in Karnataka has completed its first year, yet the smart cards intended for the beneficiaries remain undistributed. According to Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy, while the smart cards have been prepared, their issuance has been stalled due to the absence of electronic ticketing machines (ETMs) in all buses, making them impractical.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R. Ashok were engaged in war of words over the Lok Sabha election results on Tuesday, with the former calling the latter “ignorant and entertaining people”. In response, Mr. Ashok said the Chief Minister “sometimes wakes up from deep slumber to exhibit his arrogance and anger”.
Makineni Jishnu Sai from Guntur secured the first position in the engineering stream while Yellu Srishant Reddy from Nizampet in Telangana bagged the first place in the Agriculture and Pharmacy (Bi.P.C. stream) in the Andhra Pradesh Engineering, Agriculture and Pharmacy Common Entrance Test (EAPCET)-2024.