Some Muslim girls attend classes and appear for internal exams in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi

At the Government Pre University College for Girls in Udupi, where the hijab row originated, six students, including five who took the issue to the High Court, did not turn up for classes

Some Muslim girls attended classes and appeared for internal examinations without the hijab in government colleges in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts on March 16, a day after the verdict on wearing a headscarf inside classrooms by a three-judge bench of the Karnataka High Court.

Sources said that of 17 Muslim girl students at the Government First Grade College in Kaup in Udupi district, four attended the internal examinations. Another nine students, who had also turned up at the college, refused to remove the hijab to appear for the examinations.

The Registrar (administration) of Mangalore University C. K. Kishor Kumar, quoting college authorities, said that the nine students initially told the college authorities that the High Court order applied only to pre-university students and not to college students. After they were apprised of the court order by the college authorities, the students said that they had not come prepared for the examinations and will appear for the examinations from March 17. The students later returned home.

According to the college authorities, these students have not been attending classes since February 5.

Mr. Kumar told The Hindu that no such incident was reported from any other college under the jurisdiction of the university.

At the Government Pre University College in Kundapur, two first-year girl students attended classes without the hijab while 11 Muslim girl students did not turn up at the college.

At the Government Pre University College for Girls in Udupi, where the hijab row originated, six students, including five who took the issue to the High Court, did not turn up for classes. College Principal Rudre Gowda said that the physical classes will be held till March 18. The preparatory examinations for second-year pre university students will commence on March 21, he said.