Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday termed as stray incident two students not appearing for the second PUC (class 12) exam after being denied permission to enter the examination hall as they were wearing hijabs.
“I’m not aware of it, it may be a stray incident. Our education minister will look into it,” the chief minister, who was in Kalaburagi district to attend BJP meetings, told reporters when asked about the girls not writing the exam after not being allowed to do so as they had the hijabs on.
Asked if the two students would be given another chance to write the exam, he said, “Whatever the education minister will say on this, will be our (govt) stand.” The two girls arrived at the exam centre by wearing hijab. They insisted that they be allowed to write the exam wearing hijab but the college authorities, citing the high court order, denied them entry. Later, the girls returned home.
The second-year pre-university examinations started in the state today amid tight security and in the shadow of the hijab row.
{{/usCountry}}The second-year pre-university examinations started in the state today amid tight security and in the shadow of the hijab row.
{{/usCountry}}The second-year pre-university examinations started in Karnataka on Friday amid tight security and in the shadow of the hijab row.
Over 6.84 lakh students will write the exam at 1,076 centres across the state. The exams will go on till May 18.
As there is a ban on hijab or any cloth linked to religious identity, the authorities made arrangements at exam centres for the Muslim girls to remove their head scarves before entering the exam halls.Muslim girls who turned up at the examination centre wearing hijab said they will remove it inside the separate enclosure and will wear it again after the exam is 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.
Elaborate security arrangements were made at the exam centres. Karnataka Primary and Secondary Education Minister B C Nagesh visited a few schools in Bengaluru to oversee the arrangements for the conduct of the exams. He said Bengaluru is the biggest centre where over 5.73 lakh students are writing the PU second-year exam whereas in Kodagu about 6,000 students are appearing for the exam. Nagesh said students appeared confident and if their parents boost their morale then they will certainly perform well.
The minister was confident that the exam will go on smoothly. Also, the photocopy centres were banned around the exam centres to prevent any exam malpractices as is the use of loudspeakers.
According to education department officials, there are 6,00,519 regular students, 61,808 repeaters and 21,928 private candidates who have enrolled this year for exam.
The state government made provision for students to travel to and from their nearest bus stop to the exam centre free of cost in Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation buses.