Hijab row: Karnataka govt sets up expert committee

The order was issued by SR Umashankar, principal secretary of the primary and education department to Rudra Gowda principal of the Women’s Government Pre-University College on Tuesday.

Karnataka government on Wednesday set up an expert committee to resolve the controversy at the government pre-university college in Udupi district. The decision comes after a controversy erupted over six students being denied entry to the classroom for wearing hijab, since the last week of December, 2021.

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The government order informing the setting up of the committee stated that all the students at the college should adhere to the uniform rule till the committee decides on the issue and maintain “status quo” till the issue is discussed and resolved by the expert committee.

The order was issued by SR Umashankar, principal secretary of the primary and education department to Rudra Gowda principal of the Women’s Government Pre-University College on Tuesday.

“…students in Udupi are asking to wear a dress of their choice despite knowing and accepting the college’s dress code. The issue that was not there till now has been created and it is not from an educational perspective,” read the order.

The committee will study the dress code and uniform norms being followed in various states and the orders passed by several courts before submitting its report to the state government, as per the order. The order, however, doesn’t mention a timeline for the submission of the report and what the status quo would be since there is no uniform code issued by the government for students at pre-university colleges.

The government’s order comes a day before the college is set to reopen on Thursday. The college was shut for six days after six students tested positive for the Covid-19.

The committee has been set up after Udupi MLA Raghupati Bhat and the chairman of the college development committee had written to the state government regarding the issue and demanded its intervention in the matter.

Bhat said that everyone should obey the government’s order and attend the classes. “The high-powered committee constituted by the government will study the existing norms regarding multiple orders passed by the courts in the past about dress code and uniform,” he said.

“The committee will study the dress code and uniform norms being followed in different states before submitting its report to government. Till that report is received by the state government from the committee, status quo will have to be followed at the Women’s Government PU College, Udupi and hijab will not be allowed,’’ he added.

On Tuesday, Karnataka minister for home affairs Araga Jananendra and education minister BC Nagesh had hinted at bringing a uniform code for government colleges in the state.

“If students start behaving like religion is more important, then what sort of future are we building? There must be a universal feeling in our schools and colleges that we all are Indians. So, they should all follow the uniform code set by colleges,” the home minister had said.

Education minister BC Nagesh too hinted at possible changes in the uniform code in the state. “We will look into the decisions of other states in such matters (allowing hijab) and court verdicts, following which we will take further steps. Till then, all colleges /schools will continue with the current norms they have set, including the one in Udupi,” he said.