Hijab Ban: Supreme Court Agrees To Consider Listing Plea Before 3-Judge Bench

The plea sought interim directions to ensure Muslim girls can appear for exams happening in government colleges.

(Image altered by The Quint)

The Supreme Court on Monday, 23 January, agreed to consider taking up an application seeking interim directions to ensure Muslim girls in Karnataka can appear for practical exams which happen only in government colleges.

Senior advocate Meenakshi Arora, appearing for the girls, said that they had moved to private institutions after they lost one academic year due to the Hijab ban imposed by the government pre-university colleges.

"But the exams are to be held in government colleges. So the private colleges can't conduct exam. The practicals will start on 6th of February. We are only praying to take up the matter for interim directions," Arora submitted.

In October 2022, a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court delivered a split verdict on appeals challenging the March 15, 2022 Karnataka High Court judgment upholding the ban on wearing the hijab in classrooms in pre-university colleges.

While Justice Hemant Gupta (now retired) had upheld the high court order, Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia set it aside and called the right to wear the hijab in classrooms “a matter of choice” and a “fundamental right”.

In response to Senior Advocate Arora, CJI Chandrachud on Monday said that he will examine the matter and list it before a three-judge bench.

(With inputs from LiveLaw.)