India’s Supreme Court has put a hold on a directive from a Mumbai college that banned students from wearing religious attire such as hijabs, burqas, caps, and niqabs. On Friday, August 9, the court emphasized that students have the right to choose their clothing, considering it a matter of personal freedom, as reported by The Indian Express.
A division bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Sanjay Kumar ruled that college authorities cannot impose mandatory dress codes on female students. The judges questioned why the college suddenly realized the religious diversity in India and pointed out the absence of any directives regarding the wearing of bindis or tilaks by female students.
The judges further argued that if religion can be identified by clothing, then students’ names also reveal their religious identity. This directive was initially issued by the Chembur Trombay Education Society in Mumbai. The Mumbai High Court upheld the directive when it was challenged.
Following this, a petition was filed in the Supreme Court challenging the High Court’s decision. Petitioners argued that the ban was preventing Muslim students from attending classes. The Supreme Court suspended the directive and ordered the college authorities to present their case by November 18.
The court also ruled that no student should enter the classroom wearing a burqa and that religious activities should not take place on college grounds. Additionally, the Supreme Court issued a notice to the Chembur Trombay Education Society, asking them to explain the rationale behind the directive.