SC refuses to list for urgent hearing PIL seeking common dress code

The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to accord urgent hearing to a PIL which seeks a direction to the Centre and states to implement a common dress code for staffers and students in registered educational institutions for securing equality and promoting fraternity and national integration A bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana was urged by lawyer Ashwini Upadhyay that his PIL be also listed for hearing like the batch of appeals filed against the Karnataka High Court verdict on the hijab rowOn Wednesday the bench also comprising justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli took note of the submissions of lawyer Prashant Bhushan and agreed to list next week the petitions challenging the Karnataka High Court verdict refusing to lift the ban on hijab in educational institutions of the stateAt the outset Upadhyay said this is a matter pertaining to the common dress codeWe have told you a number of times Do not force me to repeat Every day you file a PIL How many matters have you filed As if there is no regular litigation I do not know in every case you come and mention It will come in due course Wait the bench saidYour Lordship agreed to hear the hijab matter yesterday I filed this PIL in February Upadhyay saidEarlier in February the PIL was filed by Nikhil Upadhyay through lawyers Ashwini Upadhyay and Ashwani Dubey in the apex court seeking implementation of common dress code in educational institutions in the wake of the hijab rowThe plea has also sought a direction to the Centre to set up a judicial commission or an expert panel to suggest steps for inculcating values of social and economic justice socialism secularism and democracy and to promote fraternity dignity unity and national integration among the studentsAlternatively being custodian of the Constitution and protector of fundamental rights direct the Law Commission of India to prepare a report suggesting steps to secure social equality and to promote fraternity dignity unity and national integration within three months it saidAlso Read SC to hear pleas against Karnataka HC order refusing to lift hijab ban next weekBesides the Centre states and the union territories the PIL has made the Law Commission a party and sought a direction to respondent authorities to strictly implement a common dress code for staff and students in all the registered and recognised educational institutions in order to secure equality of status and social equality and to promote fraternity dignity unity national integrationIt referred to certain protests held in the national capital on February 10 against the hijab curbs in KarnatakaEducational institutions are secular public places and are meant to impart knowledge and wisdom employment good health and contribute to nation building not to follow essential and nonessential religious practices the PIL saidIt is very essential to introduce a common dress code in all schoolscolleges to preserve the secular character of educational institutions otherwise tomorrow Naga Sadhus may take admission in colleges and attend the class without clothes citing essential religious practice it saidThe common dress code is not only necessary to maintain uniformity but also to instil a sense of camaraderie among students from different caste creed faith religion culture and place the plea saidIt referred to the dress code in countries like the US the UK France Singapore and China and said iquestaccording to a survey around 250000 guns were brought in schools and colleges in 2018 So having a common dress code that requires a students beltline exposed reduces the fear of a concealed weaponThe hijab controversy started towards the end of December when a few women students wearing hijabs were denied entry into a government preuniversity college in Karnatakas Udupi As a counter some Hindu students turned up wearing saffron scarvesThe row spread to other educational institutions in the state and the protests took a violent turn at some placesThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever