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Bengaluru: In a significant reversal of the controversial hijab ban introduced in 2022 by the then BJP-government, Karnataka has announced that students will now be allowed to wear limited traditional and religious symbols, including hijab and sacred thread, along with the prescribed school uniform.

The earlier order had triggered statewide protests and sparked a national debate on religious freedom and the right to education.

The new guidelines state that students may wear customary symbols as long as they do not modify or substitute the official uniform. The government has also made it clear that such practices should not interfere with discipline, safety norms, or the ability to identify students on campus.

The order stated that no student should be stopped from attending classes, appearing for examinations, or participating in academic activities because of these symbols.

Educational institutions across the state have been instructed to enforce the policy in a secular and non-discriminatory manner. The government stressed that students must not face exclusion, humiliation, or unequal treatment while schools balance dress discipline with constitutional rights and access to education.

The state said maintaining discipline in institutions remains important, but added that educational spaces must also reflect inclusivity and constitutional secularism. The order further clarified that secularism does not mean rejecting personal faith, but ensuring neutrality and equal treatment by institutions.

The government maintained that the central aim of the policy is to ensure that no child is denied education on the basis of personal belief or attire linked to tradition. The revised policy has come into force immediately, and any earlier institutional orders or local resolutions contradicting it will stand cancelled. The rules will apply to both government and private educational institutions in Karnataka.

The state has directed the School Education Commissioner and the Director of Pre-University Education to ensure the policy is implemented uniformly across the state without discrimination.