Karnataka rolls back 2022 uniform ban; allows hijab, religious symbols in schools amid fresh row
The Karnataka government has withdrawn its 2022 order enforcing strict uniform compliance without religious symbols and issued fresh guidelines permitting students to wear select traditional and faith-based items in schools and pre-university colleges.
Under the revised order, students in government, aided and private institutions may wear items such as hijab, turban, sacred thread (Janeu), rudraksha beads, shivadara and peta.
These are permitted as long as they do not disrupt the prescribed uniform or affect discipline, safety, identification or classroom functioning.
The government clarified that no student shall be denied entry to classrooms, examinations or academic activities for wearing such symbols, nor can any student be compelled to wear or remove them.
Uniform rules and exam codes remain in place
While the order allows limited cultural and religious expression, institutions will continue to enforce uniforms prescribed by their respective managements. Dress codes for national and state-level examinations will also remain unchanged.
Officials said any institutional rules that contradict the new directive will stand invalid.
Government cites constitutional values
Issued under Sections 7 and 133(2) of the Karnataka Education Act, 1983, the order replaces the 2022 restriction that had triggered a major political and legal controversy over hijab in educational institutions.
The state government said schools and colleges must function as constitutional spaces that uphold values such as equality, secularism, fraternity, dignity, discipline and scientific temper.
It added that a blanket ban on religious symbols was unnecessary if discipline and order are maintained.
Karnataka Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa said the decision was aimed at ensuring students are not harassed over minor religious practices and that personal accessories should not become barriers to education.
Opposition warns of renewed tensions
Critics, including advocate and VHP leader Girish Bharadwaj, argued that the move could reopen old tensions linked to the hijab controversy and create law-and-order challenges in educational institutions.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s administration maintained that the revised framework balances constitutional freedoms with institutional discipline, ensuring both inclusion and order within educational spaces.
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