Bengaluru: Following the Karnataka Examination Authority’s issuance of a new dress code, which initially banned all head coverings, Karnataka Education Minister Dr. M.C. Sudhakar clarified that there is no prohibition on hijabs during recruitment examinations for boards and corporations.
The dress code was implemented to curb cheating through Bluetooth devices, but it faced criticism from various groups, including AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
Sudhakar emphasized that the dress code aims to prevent malpractices and clarified that hijabs, not covering the mouth, make Bluetooth cheating impossible. Women candidates wearing hijabs will undergo early arrival, thorough frisking, and enhanced security measures at exam centers.
The rules, according to the Minister, aim to heighten vigilance, and the ban on unnecessary caps or scarves does not extend to the hijab. KEA’s dress code announcement was in preparation for upcoming examinations on November 18 and 19 across the state.
