Karnataka Government Revokes 2022 Dress Code Order, Allows Hijab and Sacred Threads in Schools and Colleges
The Karnataka government has revoked a 2022 dress code order, now allowing students to wear limited religious and traditional symbols like hijabs, turbans, and Rudraksha malas alongside uniforms. The new policy aims to balance institutional discipline with constitutional rights, ensuring no student is denied education based on their attire.
In a significant policy reversal, the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in Karnataka on Wednesday, May 13, withdrew a controversial 2022 dress code order, introducing a new framework that balances institutional discipline with the constitutional right to education. The new directive formally scraps the order issued by the previous Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) administration, which had effectively barred the hijab and other religious attire in classrooms where uniforms were mandated.
Revised Policy on Traditional and Religious Symbols
Under the new guidelines announced by the Department of School Education and Literacy, students in government, aided, and private educational institutions - including pre-university colleges - are now permitted to wear "certain limited traditional and religious symbols" alongside their prescribed uniforms. Leopard Attack in Karnataka: Govt Suspends Trekking in Forest Routes After 10-Year-Old Boy Killed by Big Cat.
The list of permitted items includes headscarves (hijab), turbans, the janivara (sacred thread), Rudraksha beads, Shivdhara, and Sharavastra. According to the government, these symbols may be worn as an addition to the standard uniform, provided they do not replace or alter the purpose of the attire. "While institutions will continue to have uniforms, students will now be allowed to wear certain traditional and faith-based symbols as long as these do not affect discipline, safety, student identification or disturb the learning environment,” said Minister for Primary and Secondary Education, Madhu Bangarappa.
Implementation and Institutional Guidelines
The order emphasises that no student can be denied entry into classrooms, examination halls, or other academic activities for wearing these permitted symbols. Conversely, the government has mandated that no student can be forced to either wear or remove such symbols, aiming to foster an inclusive educational environment. However, the policy includes specific caveats. While it applies to the majority of academic settings, the government clarified that national and state-level dress code rules already in place for specific examinations will continue to apply. The School Education Commissioner and the Director of Pre-University Education have been directed to ensure the uniform and non-discriminatory implementation of these rules across the state.
Constitutional and Institutional Context
The move follows widespread debate and several recent incidents, including reports of students being asked to remove religious symbols during examinations. In the preamble to the new order, the Karnataka government noted that while the Karnataka Education Act, 1983, empowers the state to maintain discipline, educational institutions must also promote a "scientific temper, rationality, equality, dignity, fraternity, discipline, mutual respect, social harmony, and the responsibilities of our constitutional democracy". D Sudhakar Dies: Karnataka Minister Passes Away in Bengaluru; Deputy CM DK Shivakumar Condoles Death.
The government further stated that "secularism in a constitutional sense is not an opposition to personal beliefs; rather, it is the giving of equal respect to all, institutional impartiality, and non-discriminatory behaviour." Any previous institutional circulars or local resolutions that conflict with these new guidelines are now deemed invalid, effective immediately.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 13, 2026 08:26 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).