India: Supreme Court to Hear Plea Against Mumbai College’s Hijab Ban

The Supreme Court will hear a plea challenging the Bombay High Court’s decision to uphold a Mumbai college’s ban on wearing hijabs, burqas, and naqab on campus, Muslim Mirror reported yesterday.

The bench, led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, acknowledged concerns raised by lawyer Abiha Zaidi, representing petitioners including Zainab Abdul Qayyum, about the impact of the dress code on minority students amid ongoing unit tests.

The Bombay High Court, on June 26, declined to intervene in the Chembur Trombay Education Society’s N G Acharya and D K Marathe College’s dress code policy, asserting that such regulations do not infringe on students’ fundamental rights. The court emphasized that maintaining discipline is essential for the college’s right to establish and administer an educational institution. As the term exams begin, the urgency of the matter has prompted the Supreme Court to expedite the hearing.