Hijab controversy: K’taka Edu dept to frame guidelines on uniforms

Udupi: Amid the Hijab controversy at a college in Udupi, the Karnataka Education department said that it will constitute a committee to formulate guidelines on uniforms at PU colleges across the state.

A letter issued by Padmini S N, under-secretary of the Education Department (Pre-University Education), said, “Presently, there is no uniform prescribed by the department to follow and it has been left on the colleges. But after the incident in Udupi district where students demanded to be allowed to attend college in clothes of their choice (hijab), the state government has decided to analyse the court orders in this issue and a committee will be formed.”

The letter also asked the colleges to maintain status quo till the government formulates new guidelines.

Also, MLA Raghupati Bhat on Wednesday had suggested the students attend online classes until the uniform issue is resolved.

However, the protesting students claimed that wearing hijab is their constitutional right and also that online classes do not facilitate laboratory sessions or practicals.  They further claimed that the other Muslim students too want to wear Hijab but are scared due to the media attention on this case.