Karnataka Permits Hijabs, Sacred Threads with Uniforms

The Karnataka government withdrew its 2022 order on school and college uniforms on Wednesday, issuing a new directive that permits students to wear limited traditional and faith-based symbols, such as hijabs and sacred threads, alongside prescribed uniforms across the state.

The revised policy, announced by Minister for School Education and Literacy Madhu Bangarappa, applies to government, aided, and private educational institutions, including pre-university colleges, for students from Class 1 to 12. It takes effect from the current academic year. Permitted symbols include hijabs or headscarves, janivara or sacred threads, rudraksha beads, shivadhara, and sharavastra, provided they complement the uniform without altering its essential purpose or interfering with student identification, safety, teaching, or public order. Institutions must enforce uniforms as per existing rules while allowing these additions.

The 2022 order, issued on February 5 by the previous administration, had empowered colleges and schools to mandate uniforms and restrict attire deemed disruptive to equality or discipline. It followed incidents at a government pre-university college in Udupi, where Muslim...