India’s SC rules in favour of students’ right to wear hijabs in Mumbai colleges, overturning the ban

The Supreme Court of India has partly stayed a Mumbai college’s circular prohibiting the hijab, burqa, cap, and naqab on campus, affirming that girl students should have the freedom to choose their attire, Muslim Mirror reported yesterday.

Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Sanjay Kumar stated that educational institutions cannot impose restrictions on students’ clothing choices, emphasizing the importance of personal freedom in attire.

The court expressed disapproval of the college’s stance, questioning why other religious symbols, like ’tilak’ and ‘bindi’, were not banned if the intent was to prevent the disclosure of religious identities. While the ban on religious attire in classrooms is stayed, the court clarified that no religious activities will be allowed on campus.

The Chembur Trombay Education Society was issued a notice to respond by November 18. The ruling comes in response to a plea challenging a Bombay High Court decision that upheld the college’s ban, which petitioners argued hindered students’ access to education.