Mood of the Nation: Should Hijab be banned in schools? 57% say yes

While 57% of the respondents favoured a ban on the religious clothing in schools and colleges, 26 per cent of people in the survey rejected any prohibition on hijab use by students.

At least 57 per cent of the responders said they are fine with the hijab ban in schools. (File photo/Representational)

By India Today Web Desk: A majority of the over 1.41 lakh people surveyed for the India Today-CVoter Mood of the Nation poll backed a ban on hijab in educational institutions in the country, findings of the poll released on Thursday showed.

While 57 per cent of the respondents favoured a ban on the religious clothing in schools and colleges, 26 per cent of people in the survey rejected any prohibition on the use of hijab by students.

For the survey, a total of 1,40,917 respondents were considered. An additional 1,05,008 interviews from CVoter’s regular tracker were also analysed.

A two-judge Supreme Court bench had in October last year delivered a split verdict on a batch of petitions challenging the Karnataka High Court’s judgment refusing to lift a ban on the use of hijab in educational institutions in Karnataka. The bench directed that appeals against the HC’s judgment be placed before the Chief Justice of India for the constitution of a larger bench.

The high court had in March held that wearing of hijab by Muslim women was not mandatory in Islam and that the Karnataka government was empowered to enforce the uniform mandate.

The legal battle started after widespread protests when six students of Udupi’s Government PU College were denied permission to wear hijab in classrooms in December 2021.

Other stories from the Mood Of The Nation survey

Do Indians want Uniform Civil Code? 69% respondents say yes

Should Hijab be banned in schools? 57% say yes

67% people satisfied with NDA, laud Covid vax drive, Art 370 revocation