Issuing clarification about the dress code to be followed during the upcoming recruitment exams for various boards and corporations in the state conducted by the Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA), Higher Education Minister MC Sudhakar, on Tuesday, November 14, said that there is no ban on wearing hijabs during the exams. Earlier on Tuesday, KEA announced the dress code which included no head covers during the exam amidst other rules.
After the announcement drew criticism from politicians and others, including All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, the Minister issued a clarification on the issue. He said that the dress code intended to mean that dresses that allow malpractices wouldn’t be allowed. As hijab doesn’t cover the mouth or the face, using a Bluetooth device to cheat is not possible.
The order was issued by KEA ahead of examinations that are scheduled to be held on November 18 and 19 across the state, and said that “any garment or cap that covers head, mouth or ears” is banned to stop malpractices involving Bluetooth devices. The order has been issued after complaints of cheating using Bluetooth devices were received earlier this year.
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Minister Sudhakar said that women candidates who wear hijabs should report to the centres an hourly ago and will have to go through proper frisking, and that more metal detectors will be introduced this year. “These rules are nothing new. They existed earlier, too. We just want to increase vigilance. Wearing unnecessary caps or scarves is not allowed but it doesn't apply to hijab,” he said.