Allahabad HC Rules Hijab Not an Essential Islamic Practice
· India · The Hindu, Zee News
A Division Bench of the Allahabad High Court dismissed a petition by a Class 11 student at Tagore Public School in Prayagraj seeking permission to wear a headscarf with the prescribed uniform. The court held that wearing a headscarf has not been established as an essential religious practice in Islam, noting no material was placed on record to support such a claim. The bench observed that the student had worn the scarf since Class 6 without objection, but this did not create an enforceable right to alter the school's uniform policy. The order added that wherever similar issues have arisen, High Courts have been unanimous that wearing a headscarf is not essential to the Islamic faith for women. The ruling aligns with previous judicial decisions that have restricted the scope of religious accommodation claims in educational institutions.
Why it matters
The ruling affects Muslim students in private and aided schools across Uttar Pradesh and may influence pending cases involving religious dress codes in educational institutions, setting another precedent against expansive religious claims in school uniform policies.
Read the original report — The Hindu
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