Hijab banned at India’s pre-medical tests

A new dress code for pre-medical tests in India that bans the Islamic headscarf or hijab to avoid cheating has been criticized as a threat to the future of female Muslims students in the Indian subcontinent.

Issued earlier this month by school regulator Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), the new guideline will be applied during the All-India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT) scheduled on July 25.

Full sleeves are not allowed under the new dress code; instead students should wear light clothes.

A board official claimed that it aims to combat cheating by ensuring students don’t hide devices and notes in the crevices of unwieldy attire.

The controversial dress code has drawn the ire of Muslims groups in the country and sparked calls to reverse it.