Pronouncement of Judgments: Karnataka High Court Upholds Hijab Ban

On March 15th 2022, a three-Judge Bench of the Karnataka High Court upheld the ban on the hijab in the State’s educational institutions.

The Bench, comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi and Justices Krishna Dixit and J.M. Khazi, held that wearing the hijab is not an Essential Religious Practice for Muslim women.

The Court held that the prescription of a dress code is a ‘reasonable restriction’ that the State can impose on students in government educational institutions. It is not a violation of the Right to Freedom of Expression and the Right to Privacy respectively held under Articles 19(1)(a) and 21 of the Constitution of India, 1950.

The Court stated that the State government had the power to issue the Order banning the hijab on February 5th 2022, and there were no grounds on which the Order could be invalidated.

Finally, the Court held that the petitions seeking directions from the Court to halt