Supreme Court to review Mumbai Hijab ban after Bombay High Court upholds dress code restrictions

The Supreme Court of India has agreed to list a plea challenging the Bombay High Court's decision that upheld a Mumbai college's ban on wearing hijabs, burqas, and naqabs on campus. On June 26, 2024, the Bombay High Court had declined to interfere with the Chembur Trombay Education Society's N G Acharya and D K Marathe College's decision, arguing that such a dress code does not infringe upon students' fundamental rights. The court justified the ban by stating that maintaining discipline through a dress code falls under the college's right to "establish and administer an educational institution." A bench of Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra has noted the urgency of the appeal, especially with unit tests scheduled to begin at the college soon. The court has assigned a bench to hear the matter and will list it shortly. Lawyer Abiha Zaidi, representing petitioners including Zainab Abdul Qayyum, emphasized the need f