Kerala court allows Muslim girls to wear hijab for medical entrance test

India's Central Board of Secondary Education had set a dress code for students taking the test to avoid malpractices

Kerala High Court on Tuesday allowed two Muslim girls to appear for July 25 All-India Pre-Medical Entrance Test (AIPMT) wearing hijab.

However, passing orders on the girls' petition, Justice K Vinod Chandran set a condition and said the students would have to appear before women invigilators half-an-hour before the examination.

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The court refused to change the dress code set by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) for students appearing for AIPMT to avoid malpractices and added that students would have to undergo personal search if the invigilator became suspicious, which would require their headscarves and full sleeve garments to be removed and examined.

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Petitioners, including one Nada Rahim, had sought exemption from the dress code prescribed by CBSE.

Earlier, a women’s college in north Kerala had banned tight jeans, short tops and leggings and instead had decided to introduce uniforms for its students. The women’s college, run by the Muslim Educational Society (MES) at Nadakkavu in Kozhikode, intended to implement the new dress code from July 8 when the academic session will begin for first year students.

Shalwar, churidar bottom, and an overcoat will now be the new uniform. Muslim students have also been allowed to wear a head scarf.

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“The decision to have a dress code came after some students were seen coming to college wearing tight jeans, short tops and leggings,” College Principal Professor B Seethalakshmi said. “We cannot allow this,” she told the Press Trust of India, elaborating on why they have taken the decision. She further said that uniform will not be made compulsory for senior students but they will have to dress in clothes similar to the new uniform.

This article originally appeared on Zee News