The Allahabad High Court has rejected a Class 11 Muslim student’s request to wear a hijab with the prescribed uniform at her private CBSE-affiliated school, ruling that educational institutions can enforce uniform dress codes to maintain discipline and promote equality.
A division bench of Justices J.J. Munir and Indrajeet Shukla issued the order on Aug. 21 while hearing the minor student’s petition seeking permission to wear a headscarf in class.
The court said school uniforms help create a common environment by promoting discipline, equality and a shared institutional identity while limiting visible distinctions between students.
It also said a uniform policy could maintain a religion-neutral atmosphere because the same dress requirements apply to students regardless of their faith.
The student had argued that wearing the hijab was protected as a religious practice. The court, however, said no evidence or authoritative religious material had been presented to establish that wearing a headscarf was an essential religious practice whose non-observance would affect the fundamental character of Islam.
The bench said the petitioner’s claim that wearing the headscarf was obligatory amounted to an assertion unsupported by sufficient material before the court.
The ruling comes amid continuing legal and political debate in India over religious attire in educational institutions, particularly after earlier court cases concerning hijab restrictions in schools and colleges.
The judgment adds to the growing body of rulings examining the balance between religious freedom and the authority of educational institutions to prescribe dress codes.
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