Back on track: Colleges to reopen tomorrow

Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT

The Karnataka government on Monday decided to reopen all PU and degree colleges across the state from February 16. This was decided at a meeting convened by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to take stock of the situation after the reopening of schools (up to tenth standard) from Monday.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Home Minister Araga Jnanendra said the decision was made in accordance with the interim orders of a three-judge bench of the high court. Students must attend classes from Wednesday as ordered by the court. The police would be deployed at all sensitive colleges for the implementation of the court’s interim order.

Asked about some school children and teachers defying the court’s interim order, the minister expressed confidence that it would not be defied by college students. Replying to a question on the ‘unseen hands’ behind the hijab row, he said the police department was working on it and nothing would be disclosed at this juncture.

The government has fixed the uniform dress code for state-run colleges and it must be followed by students without fail, he added.

The meeting was attended by Primary and Secondary Education Minister B.C. Nagesh, Higher Education Minister Dr C.N. Ashwath Narayana, Health and Medical Education Minister Dr K. Sudhakar, DG&IGP Praveen Sood and Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Kamal Pant.

Allow headscarves in colour of uniform: Girl students

Bengaluru: Challenging the government order restricting the use of any cloth that can disturb peace and harmony, the girl students who petitioned in favour of hijab, requested the Karnataka High Court on Monday to allow them to wear headscarves in the colour of the school uniform.

The girls made the plea to a full bench comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice J M Khazi and Justice Krishna M Dixit. “I am not only challenging the GO but also asking for a positive mandate for allowing me to wear a headscarf of the same colour of the uniform,” advocate Devadatt Kamat, appearing on behalf of the girls of the government PU college in Udupi, told the bench.

Kamat also claimed that central schools permit Muslim girls to wear headscarves of the school uniform. The court adjourned further hearing of the case to Tuesday.