Decision on hijab ban will 'benefit all students', says Karnataka Edu Minister

Karnataka Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa on Tuesday said that the Congress-led government will take a decision on hijab controversy that will 'benefit all students. 

While refusing to comment on hijab ban, since the matter is sub-judice, Bangarappa said, “The case is currently in the court and the law department will fight it legally. It would be wrong to comment on it further. But we will take a decision that will benefit all students."

The Education Minister's proclamation comes a day after CM Siddaramaiah met around 30 academicians who urged his government to reverse the hijab ban, saying, “Thousands of girls are deprived of education due to the hijab controversy," 

The academicians also submitted a memorandum to CM Siddarmiah suggesting various changes to reform the education sector.

The controversy around hijab ban began in January 2022 when Muslim students of a college in the Udupi district were not allowed to attend classes while wearing a hijab. The college administration said that wearing a hijab goes against the



dress prescribed as per the norms of the institution.

The state education minister also hinted at the possibility of revising school textbooks in the coming days to ensure that children's minds are not 'polluted'. The Congress, in its election manifesto, had promised to reverse the changes in the school curriculum brought in by the previous BJP government and to scrap the National Education Policy (NEP) in the state.

While speaking to reporters in Bengaluru on Tuesday, the education minister said, "I was the vice president of the Congress' manifesto committee, and in the manifesto we had said clearly that textbook revision will take place in the interest of the students' future. We don't want their minds to get polluted,"

While stating that the manifesto promise will be fulfilled with guidance from CM and Deputy CM, Bangarappa said, “The challenge before us now is -- how we will do it with care, without affecting the students and their studies… As the academic year has started, we will discuss and take action so that the education of the children is not disturbed."