50pc Muslim students dropped out of govt colleges due to hijab ban in Karnataka

Fifty percent of Muslim students dropped out of the government colleges due to hijab or headscarf controversy in Indian state Karnataka.

Following the HIndutva Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government’s ban on hijab in educational institutions in Karnataka, many Muslim students have shifted to private colleges from government colleges.

The data, which was accessed by Indian Express, shows that a total of 1,296 children enrolled in Class XI (also known as Pre-University College (PUC) in Karnataka) during the year 2021-22. In 2022-23 the number was 1,320.

In government colleges, however, 388 Muslim students were enrolled in Class XI in 2021-22, the number decreased to 186 in 2022-23.

According to the research, only 91 Muslim girls enrolled in government colleges this academic year, compared to 178 in the 2021-22 academic year. The number of Muslim boys enrolled in government colleges fell from 210 to 100.

In contrast, enrollment of Muslim students in the district’s private (or unassisted) pre-university colleges has increased.

According to the private institution, 30 Muslim girls were studying in Class 11 in 2021-22, the number has risen to 57 in 2022-23.

“The enrollment of Muslim girls in our PU college has almost doubled for the first time. This is a testament to how the hijab-headscarf issue has actually impacted them personally and academically,” Aslam Haikady, administrator of the Saliath Group of Education, was quoted as saying by the Indian Express.

According to official surveys, the GAR (Gross Attendance Ratio) of Muslim women in higher education climbed from 1.1 percent in 2007-08 to 15.8 percent in 2017-18. In this context, the GAR is the ratio of Muslim women aged 18 to 23 attending college to the total number of Muslim women in that age cohort.

Furthermore, all enrolled Muslim girl students had appeared in the final test held in April 2022, according to the sole district in deputy directors of the PU (Pre-University) Board of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi.

The admissions records highlight a noticeable trend at the Government PU College in Udupi, which was at the centre of the demonstrations. Here, 41 Muslim girls enrolled in the first PU in 2021-22, the highest number since 2018-19. In 2022-23, the college had 27 fresh admissions in the same grade.