The Allahabad High Court recently dismissed a petition filed by a minor student from a private CBSE school in Prayagraj, through her mother, seeking permission to wear a hijab along with her school uniform. The court ruled that wearing a headscarf is not an essential part of the Islamic faith for women, reiterating what it described as the unanimous opinion of High Courts over the years.

The court observed that the petitioner's assertion that wearing a headscarf is an essential religious practice was a 'bare assertion,' as no pleading, authoritative religious text, or other material on record established that wearing a scarf inside the classroom was obligatory, or that not wearing it would alter the fundamental character of her faith.

The ruling underscores that school uniform policies and religious neutrality take precedence in this context. The court found no evidence that faith would be jeopardised without the headscarf.