Jamia student barred from appearing in NET exam for wearing Hijab, writes to UGC; HRD minister reacts otherwise

A student of the Jamia Millia Islamia was debarred from appearing in a UGC-NET exam as she wearing a Hijab on Thursday.

Umaiyah Khan, 23, has now filed a complaint to the University Grants Commission wherein she has mentioned the instance as she was wearing a Hijab, she was not allowed to give the National Eligibility Test in the Central University funded Jamia Millia Islamia.

Reacting to the story, Human Resource and Development Minister Prakash Javadekar has told the press that “The Supreme Court has laid down norms for what you can carry and what you cannot carry. So we’re following SC guidelines.”

An MBA student in International Business, Khan who was appearing for the management exam has written in the letter to UGC saying, “When I reached the centre, a male staff member asked me to remove my head scarf. I was shocked as there were no such guidelines mentioned in the admit card…I told him I can’t remove it as I follow my religion…When I approached the female staff members, they didn’t let me in either and asked me to remove my hijab.”

Vineet Joshi, who is the director of the National Testing Agency has said in the matter that, “This should not have happened. We have told everyone that they have to be very sensitive of religious sentiments and that frisking has to be done in a private enclosure.”

Khan told The Indian Express that “People should do their duty, but not by telling people to give up their religious symbols whether it’s a Muslim, Sikh or Hindu.”

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