India
Hijab-wearing females in Udupi have been prohibited from taking examinations
Three Muslim girls have been prevented from attending their practical examinations, which began on Monday, at the Udupi Pre-university College (PUC) in Karnataka, where the Hijab issue originated (February 28). The situation occurred when they requested permission to pass examinations while wearing their hijab, in direct defiance of the Karnataka High Court’s interim decision.
According to sources, the three students also requested that the exams be postponed by PUC principal Rudre Gowda. They claimed Gowda had threatened to file a police report against them. “We begged the principal today (February 28) once again to enable us to write the exam,” Almas AH, one of the students and a petitioner in the hijab matter, said.
“We didn’t have courses for two months, but we watched YouTube videos and prepared for the exam, and we hoped we’d get to write the exams,” she continued. The principal refused, stating that if we stayed another five minutes, he would file a police report.”
“Right now, we should have been in our labs, doing practicals, rather than being forced to leave.” “The hatred sown against hijab is shattering the goals and dreams I had from college,” she stated in a tweet on February 28.
Almas AH and two fellow female Muslim students requested to take their practical exams wearing a hijab, but the college management refused to accommodate their request. Principal Rudre Gowda explained to The Telegraph India that the kids refused to listen to him when he requested them to follow the court’s decision.
“I talked to them for a few minutes, trying to persuade them to take the examinations by removing their hijab,” I asked them to follow the rules and take the exam even if it was after 9.30 a.m. “However, they simply refused to listen to me,” he explained.
Students in Karnataka who identify as ‘Hijabi’ disobey the High Court’s order.
The six students behind the ‘Hijab row’ had written to the PUC board earlier on February 24, requesting a deferral of their practical tests. Female Muslim students in other colleges in the State similarly insisted on writing their exams with hijabs, inspired by Almas AH’s decision to prioritize ‘Hijab’ over ‘Kitaab.’
Government Pre-University College and Bhandarkar’s College of Arts and Sciences in Kundapura, as well as Dr. G Shankar Government Women’s First Grade College in Udupi, are among the colleges. By the interim ruling of the Karnataka High Court, they were also prevented from writing exams.
“We were sent back from the gates itself by police officials when we came to the college gates to request entrance to the library or to request permission to take the exam,” a ‘hijabi’ Muslim girl told the News Minute.
The Karnataka High Court upholds the ban on hijab at colleges with mandatory uniforms.
Rituraj Awasthi, the chief justice of the Karnataka High Court, restated the interim ruling issued by the court on February 10, 2022, prohibiting students from wearing religious attire in classrooms, noting that it will apply to both degree and pre-university institutes with a uniform code. The court went on to say that the ruling solely affects pupils, not teachers.
The order was passed just weeks after the Karnataka High Court issued an interim order prohibiting religious clothing from being worn in educational institutions. On February 10, the Karnataka High Court issued an order instructing students to desist from wearing anything religious-related until the case is resolved.
The Hijab Debate in Karnataka
Some Muslim students at PU College in Karnataka filed a plea in the High Court last month to be allowed to attend lessons while wearing the hijab. They were denied admission to classes because the hijab is not part of the college uniform and so cannot be worn in class, according to the college administration. The students have been demonstrating while wearing burqas since then.
After meeting with the Campus Front of India (CFI), the student wing of the Islamist organization Popular Front of India (PFI) in October 2021, Muslim students began wearing hijab and burqa to school and college in defiance of uniform requirements in December 2021. The students admitted that they had spoken with the CFI.
Airlines may move flights to Navi Mumbai International Airport from summer 2027 as Mumbai airport prepares for Terminal 1 redevelopment.
The Shift
Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) has asked 12 international airlines to temporarily shift their flight operations to the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) from the summer schedule of 2027.
The move comes as Mumbai airport prepares for the redevelopment of Terminal 1, which will affect its existing flight-handling capacity. Out of 50 international airlines that requested flight slots for the summer schedule, the airport has allocated slots to 38 airlines. The remaining 12 have been asked to consider operating from Navi Mumbai.
The affected airlines operate flights to 14 international destinations, including Bahrain, Dammam, Doha, Jeddah, Kuwait City, Muscat, Riyadh, Sharjah, Kathmandu and Dhaka.
According to reports, the proposed shift could affect around five million passengers annually, while nearly 91% of Mumbai airport’s existing passenger traffic will remain unaffected. The Terminal 1 redevelopment project is expected to increase its annual passenger-handling capacity from 15 million to 20 million. Construction is scheduled to begin in January 2027 and is targeted for completion by March 2029.
Mumbai airport has assured airlines that their existing flight slots will be restored after the redevelopment work is completed. The move is aimed at distributing flight operations between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai airports while maintaining smooth passenger services during the construction period.
Residents can report noise pollution, illegal firecracker sales and violations of permitted bursting hours through ward-wise and toll-free helplines.
The Helplines
The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has introduced a special complaint system to address noise and air pollution caused by firecrackers during Diwali. The civic body has announced separate helpline numbers for all eight administrative wards, along with two toll-free numbers for residents to register complaints.
The facility covers Belapur, Nerul, Vashi, Turbhe, Koparkhairane, Ghansoli, Airoli and Digha. Residents can report loud firecrackers, illegal sales and violations of pollution control guidelines.
As per the Bombay High Court’s directions issued on October 15, 2026, firecrackers are permitted only between 7 pm and 10 pm. Crackers producing noise above 125 decibels are prohibited. Firecrackers containing harmful chemicals such as barium, lithium, arsenic, lead and mercury are also banned.
The NMMC has urged citizens to follow the prescribed timings and avoid excessive use of firecrackers, highlighting the health risks associated with rising air and noise pollution during the festive season.
Residents can contact the following numbers for complaints:
- Belapur: 8976954881
- Nerul: 8976954882
- Turbhe: 8976954883
- Vashi: 8976954884
- Koparkhairane: 8976954885
- Ghansoli: 8976954886
- Airoli: 8976954887
- Digha: 8976954889
Toll-free helplines: 1800222309 / 1800222310
NMMC Commissioner Dr Kailas Shinde has appealed to residents to celebrate an eco-friendly Diwali and help keep the city pollution-free.
Residents question the driver over littering in public, prompting him to clean the stain; video of the incident goes viral on social media.
The Gutkha
A cab driver was confronted by a woman resident for allegedly spitting gutkha on Palm Beach Road in Navi Mumbai. A video of the incident has gone viral on social media, showing the driver eventually cleaning the spot after being questioned by residents.
The incident reportedly took place when a woman noticed the driver spitting gutkha on the road near his vehicle. She questioned him and asked him to clean the area. However, the driver initially denied the allegation and refused to take responsibility.
The argument intensified when two security guards joined the discussion and questioned the driver. The woman also pointed out that spitting in public places is punishable and can attract fines.
After initially refusing, the driver eventually poured water from a bottle and cleaned the gutkha stain from the road.
The video, shared on social media by Richa Sameet, has triggered discussions about civic sense and the responsibility of citizens to maintain cleanliness in public spaces.
The incident has also highlighted the problem of people spitting tobacco and gutkha on roads and other public places, despite rules against such practices. Residents have stressed the need for greater public awareness and responsible behaviour to keep Navi Mumbai clean.
Mumbai Airport Asks 12 International Airlines to Shift Operations to Navi Mumbai
NMMC Sets Up Special Helplines for Diwali Firecracker Pollution Complaints
Cab Driver Confronted for Allegedly Spitting Gutkha on Palm Beach Road
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