Muslim girl students in hijab may write exam: Centre to HC

Kochi: The Centre told the Kerala High Court that Muslim girl students wearing 'hijab,' a customary religious dress, will be allowed to write the AIIMS' entrance test for MBBS on May 28, if they undergo mandatory checks.

The counsel for the Union government and the AIIMS told the bench that the girl students wearing 'hijab,' however, will have to report an hour before the beginning of the examination to undergo the mandatory physical verification in time.

The submission was made to a bench of Justice P B Suresh Kumar during the hearing of a plea by Muslim girl students and various Islamic organisations, challenging an AIIMS regulation which allegedly prohibited the students from wearing headgear and scarves.

The petitioners alleged this instruction, prohibiting students from wearing the headgear and scarves, was printed on the admit cards for the AIIMS' MBBS test.

They said prohibiting headgear and scarves for candidates appearing for the entrance was unconstitutional and violative of their right to religious freedom guaranteed by Article 25.

The court had earlier sought the Centre's stand on the pleas by the Muslim girl students and organisations.

But with the Counsel for the Centre and AIIMS, clarifying its stand, Justice recorded his submission and disposed of the petition.