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CBSE Appeal Against Order Allowing Hijab
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KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Friday dismissed an appeal filed by the Central Board of Secondary Education challenging its single judge's order granting permission to Muslim girls to wear the 'Hijab', a customary religious dress, while appearing for All India Pre-Medical Test-2016.
A division bench, comprising Justice PN Ravindran and Justice Sunil Thomas, observed that no ground had been made out to interfere with the April 26 order of the single judge.
In its appeal, the CBSE said the single judge had ignored the likelihood of millions of students being affected by its direction, particularly in view of the fact that arrangements for the conduct of examination had been completed.
The CBSE had contended that since the judgement creates necessity for additional women invigilators, it would find conduct of the examination with such additional women invigilators trained to "honour religious sentiments" extremely cumbersome, unmanageable and unworkable at this "extremely belated stage".
The single judge had said that the CBSE dress code shall not be enforced against the candidates who, by the virtue of Article 25 of the Constitution, are protected with regard to wearing such dress as prescribed in the injunctions of their faith.
The order was issued on a petition by one Amnah Bint Basheer, challenging the dress code prescribed for the candidates by CBSE in the bulletin relating to conduct of AIPMET-2016.