Karnataka govt makes uniforms must for all PU students

BENGALURU: The government has made uniforms must for PUC students from the 2022-23 academic year.
The admission guidelines issued by the department of pre-university education state that uniforms prescribed by the College Development Committee are compulsory for PUC students. They cite the high court order upholding the government order on uniforms following the recent hijab controversy.

The circular issued on Wednesday follows confusion over the wearing of the hijab inside PUC classrooms.
According to education department officials, several institutions, teachers, and parents had questioned whether hijab will be allowed inside examination halls for students from private schools since admission guidelines for academic year 2021-22 state that uniforms are not compulsory for students.
The department had also not pulled up institutions for violating the rule or put a dress code in place. The new circular states that in case no uniform is prescribed by the College Development Committee or management, students must wear a garment that will “maintain equality and unity, and which does not disturb public order”.
In the wake of the hijab row, the Karnataka government had in February issued an order mandating uniforms prescribed by it or management of private institutions for its students in schools and pre-university colleges across the state.
The HC on March 15 dismissed petitions filed by a group of Muslim students, seeking permission to wear hijab inside classrooms. The 3-judge bench had noted that the prescription of school uniform is only a reasonable restriction and constitutionally permissible, which the students cannot object to.