Bengaluru, Feb 5: Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara stated on Wednesday that the government will hold a meeting to decide whether to allow Class 10 students in the state to wear the hijab while attending exams and will convey its stance to the Supreme Court.

When asked whether any discussion had taken place regarding allowing female students wearing hijabs to appear for exams, HM Parameshwara said, “A meeting on this matter has not been held yet, but we will conduct one.”

When asked whether the government could make a decision while the hijab issue is still before the Supreme Court, he responded, “It is not about making a decision despite the case being in the Supreme Court. We need to make our own decisions and also communicate our stance to the court. We must present our opinion based on the current situation, and we will do so.”

The government in Karnataka is treading cautiously in connection with the matter of allowing students to write exams wearing the hijab.

During the tenure of the previous BJP government, the hijab crisis made international news and created a furore in the state.

While answering a question on whether the government will allow female students wearing the hijab to attend exams, Home Minister G. Parameshwara said on Tuesday, “We need to discuss the matter in detail and after discussions we will take a decision in this regard.”

When reminded that there was only one month left for exams, HM Parameshwara stated, “One month is sufficient period to discuss the matter.”

The previous BJP government imposed a ban on the wearing of the hijab along with school and pre-university (class 11 and 12) college female students.

The move was questioned by the students in the High Court and the court had upheld the decision of the government. The matter is presently with the Supreme Court.

The issue had also divided society, especially students, on communal lines across Karnataka.

A two-judge panel in the Supreme Court returned a split decision in October: One judge Hemant Gupta upheld the Karnataka High Court ruling, while the other, Sudhanshu Dhulia found it had ruled in error.

The judges requested the Chief Justice to refer the matter to a larger Bench.

The implementation of dress codes by educational institutes, banning the hijab, was criticised inside India and abroad by officials in countries including the United States and Pakistan.

The ban was defended by politicians such as Arif Mohammad Khan, Aaditya Thackeray and activist Taslima Nasreen.

New Delhi, Feb 1: Presenting her eighth consecutive Union Budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a slew of initiatives for the poor and marginalised sections including the gig workers. Her blueprint for ‘Viksit Bharat’ includes a social security plan for gig workers and a major thrust on addressing the educational gaps in government-run schools.

She announced that broadband connectivity will be provided in all government secondary schools, a move that will bring the students at par with their private counterparts and also open new vistas of opportunities for them.

“50,000 Atal tinkering labs will be set up in schools to foster curiosity and scientific temper. Broadband connectivity to be provided to all government secondary schools,” she said.

“We propose to implement the Bharatiya Bhasha Pustak scheme, to help students understand subjects in their language,” she added.

The Finance Minister also spoke about the expansion capacity of higher education institutions.

“Additional infrastructure will be created in 5 IITs created after 2014 for 6,500 students,” Sitharaman announced.

She also announced a social security scheme for the gig workers.

The Finance Minister said that the gig workers of online platforms will be provided with ID cards on the e-Shram portal and will be extended healthcare benefits under the PM Jan Arogya Yojana. This is expected to help about 1 crore gig workers.

The PM SVANidhi scheme, benefiting the street vendors, will also be revamped with enhanced loans from banks and UPI-linked credit cards with Rs 30,000 limit.

Earlier, the Finance Minister reiterated the government’s thrust on meeting and realising the aspirations of the GYAN (Garib, Yuva, Annadata and Nari shakti) poor, farmers, women, and youth.

Mumbai: A day after BJP Minister Nitesh Rane demanded a ban on the burqa in schools during exams, Samajwadi Party (SP) legislator Rais Shaikh on Thursday wrote to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, urging them not to entertain such regressive demands, which target only the Muslim community and could deprive Muslim students of their education.

In his letter to Fadnavis, Shinde, Pawar and Education Minister Dadaji Bhuse, Shaikh stated that for Muslims, wearing the burqa or headscarf is an act of worship. “The Preamble to the Constitution guarantees an individual’s liberty of faith and worship. Article 15 of the Constitution prohibits discrimination based on religion,” said Rais Shaikh, SP MLA.

Shaikh further argued that the demand to ban the burqa or headscarf in schools under the guise of exam regulations is nothing but an interference with religion. “This demand is unconstitutional and will not withstand any legal scrutiny. It targets the Muslim community at large, aiming to deprive minority students of their education. Entertaining such demands would only increase polarisation in the education sector,” Shaikh added.

Highlighting the government’s initiatives such as Ladki Bahin, Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, and women empowerment, Shaikh said, “While the government launches multiple initiatives to empower women, it now needs to walk the talk and not bow down to such hate-filled demands. This is an attempt to create an atmosphere of hate and fear.”

Shaikh further urged students and their parents not to panic and to focus on their studies for the upcoming exams. “This government will be responsible for jeopardising the careers of millions of students if it gives credence to such hate-filled demands,” he added.