The first PU exam held in the backdrop of hijab ban at exam centres and Hubbali communal violence registered absence of over 11,300 students out of 2.4 lakh. The exams will go on till May 18.
According to the PU Board, as many as 2.28 lakh students appeared for logic and which were held yesterday. On the first day out of 2,39,384 students registered to sit for the exam 11,379 students didn't turn up, whereas 95.24 per cent were reported present.
Many Muslim girls who turned up at the examination centre wearing hijab removed it inside the separate enclosure and wore it again after the exam was over. "Hijab is important and so is writing and passing the exam. Our future depends on our exam results," a Muslim girl student told reporters in Bengaluru.
The Karnataka High Court had last month upheld the order of the state government banning wearing clothes which disturb equality, integrity and public order in schools and colleges, which a section of Muslim girls had challenged in the court.
Two Muslim students Resham and Alia whose petition challenging the government order banning Hijab was dismissed by the High Court returned home from the exam centre in Udupi after they were denied entry for insisting to write the exam. No other instance of students or invigilators trying to attend the exam wearing hijab was reported from the state.
{{/usCountry}}Two Muslim students Resham and Alia whose petition challenging the government order banning Hijab was dismissed by the High Court returned home from the exam centre in Udupi after they were denied entry for insisting to write the exam. No other instance of students or invigilators trying to attend the exam wearing hijab was reported from the state.
{{/usCountry}}Abhishek Hiremath whose alleged social media post led to the violence in the old town of Hubballi on April 16 night, appeared for second Pre-University exam on Friday with police protection. Police took Hiremath from the Hubballi sub-jail to the examination venue in a police vehicle. The accused had allegedly posted a video showing a saffron flag on a mosque, which is said to be the root cause behind the violence. Elaborate security arrangements were made at the exam centres preventing any congregation of people to create any ruckus.
As per data reported by the department of PU education board, 68 students were absent for logic and 11,311 did not appear for business studies papers. In 2020, these figures were 38 and 7,926 respectively.