The first full-fledged SSLC examination, after two years of disruptions owing to COVID-19, began on Monday across Karnataka with 97.59% of the students who had enrolled appearing on day one.
The exam comes in the backdrop of the State Government — citing recent orders by the High Court of Karnataka — stating that all students should appear for the examination wearing their school uniforms, sans the hijab.
One student in Bagalkot, who refused to remove hijab, did not appear for the annual examination. In many examination centres across the State, special rooms had been allotted for students to remove their hijab before entering the examination hall where it is not part of the school’s uniform. However, in the case of schools where hijab is part of the uniform, students appeared for the examination wearing it.
A teacher at a school in Manjunathnagar in Bengaluru was reportedly relieved from SSLC examination duty, though the reasons for the same were not clear. While some reports suggested that the teacher was wearing a hijab, others said she was allowing students with the hijab to enter the examination centre.
The exam went about smoothly in Udupi district, which is the epicentre of hijab controversy.
