Karnataka Congress Government Allows Hijab for Candidates in Upcoming Recruitment Exams

Candidates appearing in the next recruitment exams for state government positions will not be prohibited from wearing the hijab, according to the Karnataka Congress administration.

Candidates taking the Karnataka Examination Authority examinations, which are scheduled for October 28 and 29, in order to fill positions in government ministries, are allowed to wear the hijab, according to state education minister M.C. Sudhakar. The minister underlined that the KEA adheres to NEET criteria, which include religious attire like the hijab.

Sangh parivar factions are demanding that the headscarf known as the hijab, which is worn by many Muslim females, be outlawed.

"I believe those who are complaining have to confirm the NEET exam criteria. I'm not sure why they are raising this as a problem. People may wear the hijab while taking the NEET test, Sudhakar told reporters on Monday.

The state government organization known as the KEA is responsible for professional education admission examinations as well as recruiting exams for state boards and government ministries.

When the then-BJP administration gave educational institutions the authority to mandate uniforms in 2022, the hijab became a divisive issue in Karnataka. This was perceived as a de facto prohibition since no state-run institution dared to oppose the Sangh parivar's effort to outlaw the hijab in classrooms.

The minister's explanation came after Hindu Janajagruti Samithi, a Sangh parivar party, requested police permission to demonstrate against the hijab on Wednesday in Bangalore.

The district coordinator for the organisation, Sharath Kumar, told The Telegraph on Tuesday, "Our main objection is that allowing hijab would be in contempt of the Karnataka High Court order that upheld the ban on hijab in educational institutions."

In March 2022, the high court affirmed government-run educational institutions' authority to mandate uniform clothing in the classroom.

The ruling was issued when an Udupi school refused to let females wearing headscarves attend classes, citing the headgear as a reason for the dress code violation. This decision sparked months of protests and a legal challenge.

Following the event, the wearing of the headscarf in schools was outlawed statewide.

Kumar claimed that the ruling would apply to all tests when informed that it only affected state-run educational institutions with a required uniform and not recruitment exams.

"Will the government let applicants to show up for the examinations wearing saffron shawls? He said, "We believe that involving students and candidates who write such tests in needless controversy doesn't bode well for anybody.