In a major political and legal reversal, the Karnataka government has withdrawn the controversial 2022 uniform order that had effectively led to restrictions on hijabs in educational institutions across the state. The fresh directive issued by the Congress-led Siddaramaiah government now allows students to wear religious and customary symbols, including hijabs, turbans and sacred threads, along with prescribed school uniforms, provided faces remain visible for identification purposes.
The move has once again brought national attention to the Karnataka hijab controversy, a dispute that began as a local classroom disagreement in coastal Karnataka before snowballing into one of India’s biggest debates around religion, education, constitutional rights and secularism.
Issued under the Karnataka Education Act, 1983, the new government directive formally revokes the February 5, 2022 order that had sparked nationwide political uproar and prolonged legal battles over the wearing of hijabs in educational institutions.
“No student shall be denied entry to an educational institution, classroom, examination hall, or academic activities merely because they are wearing such limited traditional and customary symbols along with the prescribed uniform,” the order stated.
What Was The Karnataka Hijab Row?
The controversy began in late 2021 and escalated sharply in early 2022 after a group of Muslim students at a government pre-university college in Udupi alleged they were denied entry into classrooms because they wore hijabs. The students argued that the hijab was an important part of their religious identity and that they had previously been allowed to attend classes wearing it.
As the issue gained attention, similar incidents began surfacing in other colleges across Karnataka. In several places, Hindu students arrived wearing saffron shawls in protest against allowing hijabs inside classrooms, turning the dispute into a larger communal and political flashpoint. Videos and images of students chanting slogans and confronting each other quickly spread across social media, intensifying tensions nationwide.
What started as a dispute over dress codes soon evolved into a wider ideological battle involving religious freedom, constitutional rights, uniformity in schools and identity politics.
What Did The BJP Government’s 2022 Order Say?
Amid escalating protests, the BJP government led by then Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai issued a government order on February 5, 2022 under the Karnataka Education Act, 1983. The order directed educational institutions to strictly enforce prescribed uniforms and stated that students could not wear clothing that disrupted “equality, integrity and public order.”
Although the order did not specifically mention the word “hijab,” it effectively enabled schools and colleges to prohibit headscarves if they were deemed inconsistent with uniform rules.
The order soon resulted in Muslim students being denied classroom entry in multiple institutions, particularly in coastal Karnataka districts such as Udupi and Shivamogga.
Why Did The Issue Become So Politically Charged?
The hijab row quickly moved beyond campuses and became a major political issue in Karnataka and across India. The BJP defended the uniform policy by arguing that schools should maintain discipline and religious neutrality. Party leaders maintained that uniforms were meant to promote equality among students and avoid visible religious divisions inside classrooms.
On the other hand, opposition parties, including Congress and several civil rights groups accused the BJP government of targeting Muslim students and turning a personal religious matter into a political issue ahead of elections. Critics argued that denying education over attire violated constitutional rights and disproportionately affected Muslim girls.
What Did The Karnataka High Court Rule?
The matter eventually reached the Karnataka High Court, which delivered a significant judgment in March 2022. A three-judge bench upheld the government order and ruled that wearing the hijab was not an “essential religious practice” under Islam. The court also said schools had the authority to prescribe uniforms and that such rules were constitutionally permissible.
The judgment was welcomed by the BJP government but strongly criticised by activists, Muslim groups and opposition parties.
What Happened In The Supreme Court?
The High Court ruling was challenged in the Supreme Court, leading to nationwide legal and constitutional debate. In October 2022, a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court delivered a split verdict. Justice Hemant Gupta upheld the Karnataka government’s order, while Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia disagreed and argued that access to education should remain the priority.
Because the bench could not reach a unanimous decision, the matter remained unresolved at the apex court level and was referred for consideration by a larger bench. No final constitutional ruling has yet conclusively settled the broader issue nationwide.
What Has The Congress Government Changed Now?
After the Congress returned to power in Karnataka, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah repeatedly signalled that his government intended to review the BJP-era policy. The newly issued order formally withdraws the February 5, 2022 directive and permits students to wear limited religious or customary identifiers along with uniforms in schools, aided institutions and pre-university colleges.
The government specifically mentioned symbols and attire such as:
- Hijab
- Peta or turban
- Janivara (sacred thread)
- Shivadhara
- Rudraksha
- Sharavastra
However, the order also states that these additions cannot override the core objective of maintaining a common uniform system. Faces must remain visible for identification, especially during examinations or security checks. Importantly, the government clarified that no student can be forced either to wear or not wear such symbols.