Bangalore. The Karnataka education department, which has successfully conducted the board exams in the last two years during the COVID pandemic, is now facing the challenge of the hijab issue.
Against the backdrop of the decision of a special bench of the Karnataka High Court, the state government has decided not to allow hijab-wearing students to take the exam. Tight police security arrangements will be made near the examination centers to ensure smooth conduct of the examination.
The state government is conducting the important SSLC (Class 10) exams from March 28 which will continue till April 11. 8,73,846 students have enrolled for the SSLC exam this academic year.
The exam will be conducted at 3,444 centers across the state. CCTV cameras have been installed at all the examination centers and prohibitory orders will be imposed around them.
The teacher fraternity is under tremendous stress for the last two years. The teachers took the pledge for their lives and worked during the COVID pandemic and conducted board exams. Though all the students passed, the initiative of the department was appreciated. Separate arrangements were made for the COVID affected students to take the exams.
Education department sources say that teachers were also used for work related to COVID and many people lost their lives in the process. Now, it is the issue of hijab which is equally stressful for them.
However, the petitioner students are challenging the High Court order on Hijab in the Supreme Court. The opposition Congress is making a strong demand from the ruling BJP to make the students wear the hijab and take the exam.
Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah has demanded that Muslim students with dupatta matching the uniform be allowed inside the examination hall.
Later, he said that if Hindu, Jain women and religious leaders can wear cloth over their faces, why can’t Muslim students?
The statement sparked a controversy and later, Siddaramaiah clarified that he had great respect for religious leaders and did not intend to insult them.
Sources in the police department said that after the court’s decision, even after the government order, girls would try to take the examination wearing hijab and when they were stopped, there would be chaos near the examination centers. He says that the situation needs to be handled properly to ensure that the students appearing for the exam are not harassed.
Education Minister B.C. Nagesh, has clarified that students wearing hijab are not allowed to take the exam and have no second thoughts about it. “We will not allow girl students in hijab to appear in any examination, including board examinations,” he said.
The education department is conducting separate exams for all subjects similar to the pre-covid pattern. Students have to score minimum passing marks this time. The government has clarified that it will not pass students like it did in the last two years.
Covid norms have been relaxed for students and wearing of masks is not mandatory in the examination hall. However, the examination hall will be sanitized and social distancing will be followed.
Earlier, a special bench of the Karnataka High Court had dismissed petitions seeking permission to wear hijab in classes. It also states that wearing the hijab is not a mandatory part of Islam.
The court had also directed the state to look into the aspect of the role of invisible hands, which had created a sudden crisis when everything went smoothly in the state.
—AnyTV News
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