DMC notice to UGC over Jamia student barred from taking exam wearing hijab

The Delhi Minorities Commission (DMC) has issued a notice to the University Grants Commission asking why a student wearing hijab was not allowed to appear for the UGC-NET exam.

Umaiyah Khan, a student of Jamia Millia Islamia, last week had alleged that she was not allowed to appear for the exam for wearing hijab.

She had claimed that she was asked to take off her hijab when she reached the exam centre in Rohini.

Following the incident, the DMC issued a notice to the UGC secretary, saying "It is a clear case of discrimination against a religious minority and an attempt to keep it away from the national mainstream".

"This practice has no legal or constitutional basis. The Kerala High Court has clearly allowed Muslim women to appear in exams and test while in hijab (wearing scarf and full sleeves)," the DMC said.

It has also issued clear orders to respect the religious rights of Muslim and Sikh women.

"The DMC has asked the UGC secretary why the discrimination was allowed and how do they propose to undo the injustice done to the Muslim women prevented from appearing in the NET exam while in hijab and what steps are being taken to prevent the repetition of this injustice in future," an official from the DMC said.

A similar incident was reported from Goa where a 24-year-old woman accused officials conducting the NET exam of not allowing her to appear for the examination after she refused to take off her hijab.

Safina Khan Soudagar alleged that when she arrived at the examination centre in Panaji on December 18, the supervisor there asked her to remove her hijab.