40 Muslim girl students from Karnataka’s Udupi district have cracked the first pre-university exam on Tuesday. The girl students said that they were hurt by the recent High Court order on hijab controversy, which did not allow wearing hijab in school. Sources said that the girl students were hurt by the March 15 court order, so they decided not to appear for the exam without hijab. The girl students who left the exam on Tuesday include 24 girls from Kundapur, 14 from Bindoor and two girls from Udupi Government Girls PU College.
These girls were involved in a legal battle over wearing hijab in class. These girls had also left the practical exams earlier. Out of 28 Muslim girl students in RN Shetty PU College, 13 appeared in the exam. Although some girl students reached the examination center wearing hijab, but they were not allowed to enter. Four out of five girl students of Udupi’s Bhandarkar College appeared in the examination and all the girl students of Basrur Sharda College appeared in the examination. Six out of eight girl students of Navunda Government PU College left the exam while only two out of 10 Muslim girls appeared in the exam.
Sources said that some private colleges in the district have allowed girls to appear in the examination wearing hijab. The Supreme Court had on March 24 refused to urgently hear the petitions challenging the Karnataka High Court. Meanwhile, on Wednesday, seven examiners were also suspended, who allowed girl students to wear hijab inside the class. Karnataka Primary and Secondary Education Minister BC Nagesh said, “According to the information I have received, 7 examiners have been suspended. These people were suspended for non-compliance with the order of the High Court and they were not taken back on duty.